India face Sri Lanka in ODI Tri-Series final

Colombo

India will take on Sri Lanka in the high-stakes Women’s ODI Tri-Series final at the R Premadasa Stadium today (Sunday). Entry to the stadium will be free for fans, Sri Lanka Cricket has announced. The Indian team will look to correct their only loss in the tournament, which came against Sri Lanka in the league stage.

This final is key preparation for the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup. India’s top performer with the bat has been Jemimah Rodrigues, scoring 201 runs at an average of 67. Her highlight was a brilliant 123 against South Africa. Other batting contributors include vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, and Pratika Rawal. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur will aim to score big in the final.

In bowling, Sneh Rana has returned strongly to international cricket, taking 11 wickets at an average of 15.63, including a five-wicket haul versus South Africa. For India to win, a united bowling effort will be needed to stop Sri Lanka’s batters.

Sri Lanka, led by Chamari Athapaththu, will be confident after beating India earlier. Harshitha Samarawickrama is a key player, having scored a match-winning 53 in the tri-series and an unbeaten 69 in last year’s T20 Asia Cup final. Young spinner Dewmi Vihanga has taken nine wickets and will be crucial in stopping India’s strong batting.

The final will start at 10 am IST on Sunday and will be broadcast live on Fancode. Both teams are expected to play their strongest XIs in what promises to be a thrilling end to the series.