India clinched their first T20 series win under new head coach Gautam Gambhir and T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav with a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka, achieved via the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method in Pallekele on Sunday. The match was disrupted by rain, leading to a revised target for India.
Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi was instrumental for India, claiming three wickets for 26 runs and dismantling the Sri Lankan middle order. India, missing newly-appointed T20 vice-captain Shubman Gill due to a neck spasm, chose to bowl first after rain delayed the start. They restricted Sri Lanka to 161-9.
Kusal Perera was the standout performer for Sri Lanka, scoring 53 runs off 34 balls, while the opening pair of Kusal Mendis (10) and Pathum Nissanka (32) contributed modestly. Sri Lanka, having been 130-2 after 15 overs, experienced a collapse, losing seven wickets for just 31 runs in the final five overs.
Rain interruptions led to a revised target of 78 runs in eight overs for India, with two overs of powerplay. Despite a shaky start, where Sanju Samson, replacing Gill, was dismissed for a golden duck, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Suryakumar Yadav steadied the innings with 30 and 26 runs, respectively. Hardik Pandya then sealed the win with 22 runs off nine balls, as India achieved their target with nine balls to spare.
This series marks a new chapter for Indian cricket, following the retirement of key players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja from T20 internationals after India’s recent T20 World Cup victory.
“We discussed our approach before this tournament — regardless of the target, this is the template we want to follow,” Suryakumar Yadav commented.
The final T20 match of the series is scheduled for Tuesday.
