The battle for supremacy continues in the five-match T20I series India and Sri Lanka there is faced off in the second encounter at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
After a clinical eight-wicket victory on Sunday, the Women in Blue entered today’s game with the momentum of the world champions but faced an unexpected hurdle in the innings. India once again won the coin toss and elected to field, trying to take advantage of the evening dew that played a significant role in the series opener. However, the biggest talking point of the evening came before the first ball was bowled, with the team sheets revealing a major absence from the Indian squad. The hosts are forced to navigate this crucial fixture without being completely dominant Deepti Sharmawhile a resilient Sri Lankan side preferred stability in search of an equaliser.
The reason behind Deepti Sharma from IND-W and SL-W 2nd T20I
captain Harmanpreet Kaur confirmed that the world’s top-ranked bowler will miss the second T20I due to illness. Despite the setback, Harmanpreet maintained faith in her team’s depth and got back at her colleague. Sneh Rana. India’s decision to bowl reflects their successful strategy in the first game, trying to keep the target within reach before the pitch slows down. Harmanpreet, referring to the line-up change during the innings, “Deepti is not well today, she has a fever, so Sneh Rana is back on the sideline.”
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan captain Chamari Atapathu Despite the heavy loss on Sunday, he showed great confidence in his unit by naming an unchanged XI. Athapaththu emphasized the need for a change of mind rather than a change of personnel, noting: “We’re going with the same 11. I’m still confident in my team, we’ve backed a few youngsters and we want to give them more opportunities. The key for us is to play positive cricket in the middle-order. We had a few shots at the back of the field in the last game. Today we want to play more flat – more long and long-term, play to our strengths today and strengthen our partnership.”
Also READ: Jemimah Rodrigues, bowlers propel India to comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka in 1st T20I
Historic milestone: Deepti becomes world number one
Meanwhile, in a moment of great pride for Indian cricket, veteran all-rounder Deepti has officially become. number one T20I bowler world first in his illustrious career. The International Cricket Council (ICC) updated its rankings on Tuesday afternoon, rewarding Deepti for her consistent excellence and match-defining magic in the series opener. An economic performance of 1/20 on Sunday earned him the vital ratings points he needed to leapfrog Australia. Annabel Sutherland.
Deepti now sits at the top with 737 rating points, one point ahead of Sutherland. This achievement follows a sensational 2025 season in which she was named Player of the Tournament in the Women’s ODI World Cup. Pundits reflecting on his growth have noted that his ability to smother strikes in powerplays and provide breakthroughs at the death has made him the most feared off-spinner in the shortest format.
Also READ: IND-W vs SL-W: Smriti Mandhana breaks Suzie Bates’ record in T20Is
This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
