Captain Harmanpreet Kaur cited the expected dew later in the evening as the primary reason behind the decision, backing her bowlers to exploit early conditions before the surface becomes easier for batting.
Harmanpreet kaur opted to bowl after winning the toss against Sri Lanka in the first T20I of the five-match series. (PC: BCCI/X)
The India Women’s team will begin their T20I series against Sri Lanka with the opening match at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. The hosts opted to bowl after winning the toss against Sri Lanka in the first T20I of the five-match series.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur cited the expected dew later in the evening as the primary reason behind the decision, backing her bowlers to exploit early conditions before the surface becomes easier for batting.
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“There will be dew, so that is a reason we want to bowl. We have one debutant, Vaishnavi is playing. All the old players are there. It is a new series for us, a new format. We always talk about playing fearless cricket, and that is what we want to do,” Harmanpreet said at the toss.
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India handed a T20I debut to Vaishnavi Sharma while retaining their core batting group featuring Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh. The bowling unit includes Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy and youngster Kranti Gaud.
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu said her side would rely on a mix of experience and youth as they look to test themselves against a strong Indian outfit.
“We had a good preparation. We have struggled with the weather in the last two days, but all good. We have six or seven youngsters playing so hope they make the opportunity count. We have a good team and we are sticking with the plans,” Athapaththu said.
The pitch at Visakhapatnam is expected to favour batters, with short square boundaries and an even covering of grass. With dew forecast later in the evening, chasing could become easier, placing a premium on disciplined bowling upfront.
The match marks the start of a crucial phase for India, with the five-game series forming a significant part of their limited T20I build-up to the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup in England. With only 11 T20Is scheduled before the global event, India will be keen to establish combinations and momentum early.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will use the series to assess how their younger players cope against a confident Indian side in challenging away conditions.
Teams:
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, N Shree Charani
Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wk), Kavisha Dilhari, Malki Madara, Inoka Ranaweera, Kawya Kavindi, Shashini Gimhani
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