Thiruvananthapuram: India achieved a comprehensive 5-0 series victory over Sri Lanka with a narrow 15-run win in the fifth and final T20I on Tuesday. This clean sweep solidified the team’s successful year, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur earning the Player of the Match award, marking her 12th in the T20 format. This milestone aligns her with former India cricketer Mithali Raj, who also accrued 12 Player of the Match awards during her distinguished career.
Kaur played a pivotal role in the final match, coming in at number four and scoring 68 runs off 43 balls, including nine fours and a six. Her leadership was instrumental as the match turned out to be the closest encounter of the series, with India recovering from a shaky start in the absence of Smriti Mandhana.
Most Player of the Match Awards for India Women in T20Is:
- 12 – Harmanpreet Kaur*
- 12 – Mithali Raj
- 8 – Shafali Verma
- 8 – Smriti Mandhana
After the match, Kaur reflected on the team’s impressive performance throughout 2025, which included winning the ODI World Cup for the first time at home. She acknowledged the challenges the team faced in adapting to the T20 format after participating in 23 ODIs this year.
“2025 has been really great for us. I think all the hard work has paid off. This year, we have received the credit we deserve, and now it’s about maintaining good habits and continuing to win,” Kaur stated. She expressed optimism about the team’s future, emphasizing the importance of believing in themselves and adopting a positive mindset regarding their strike rates and performance standards.
“We all played a lot of T20 cricket together, and it was only about believing in ourselves that we could achieve this. Everyone was very positive when we discussed raising our standards, and we were really happy to come together to set a benchmark for our future endeavors,” she added.
