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Headline: Mandhana on Verge of History as India Eyes Series Win Against Sri Lanka Women
Thiruvananthapuram, India – Indian star batter Smriti Mandhana is on the cusp of achieving a major milestone in her international career as India prepares to face Sri Lanka in the third T20I of their ongoing five-match series. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST today at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
India currently leads the series 2-0 and will be aiming for a decisive victory in this match. However, much of the attention will be on Mandhana, who needs just 28 runs to become only the second Indian woman, and fourth globally, to reach 10,000 runs in international cricket.
The prolific left-hander has amassed 9,972 runs across all three formats (Test, ODI, and T20I) in her 279-match career. If she reaches the milestone, she will join former Indian captain Mithali Raj (10,868 runs), New Zealand’s Suzie Bates (10,662 runs), and England’s Charlotte Edwards (10,273 runs) in the elite club.
Currently, Mandhana’s record boasts 5,322 runs in 117 ODIs, 629 runs in 7 Test matches, and 4,221 runs in 149 T20 Internationals.
The Indian team is in excellent form, having secured convincing wins in the first two T20Is against Sri Lanka. In the second match, opener Shafali Verma delivered a blistering unbeaten knock of 69 runs off 34 balls after Mandhana’s early dismissal, guiding India to victory in just 11.5 overs. The team will be hoping for a similar performance to clinch the third T20I and take an unassailable lead in the series. All eyes will be on Smriti Mandhana as she chases history while India aims for a series-clinching victory.
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