Pallekele: The Indian team, captained by Suryakumar Yadav and led by coach Gautam Gambhir, emerged as the unexpected heroes when they were batting against the visitors, with Washington Sundar adding the final touches to secure a victory in the Super Over of the third T20I at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
The fresh start under Yadav and Gambhir began with a 3-0 win in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. India made strategic changes to their lineup, opting for a high-risk, high-reward strategy that ultimately paid off.
As they chased 138, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis built a solid opening partnership of 58 runs, setting the stage for the match.
Ravi Bishnoi made a breakthrough in the ninth over, sparking optimism for an unlikely comeback. Bishnoi managed to dismiss Kusal Mendis (43) by trapping him behind the stumps.
Washington Sundar then took out Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka consecutively, shifting the momentum in India's favor.
With just nine runs needed from 12 balls, Yadav took a bold gamble on Rinku Singh, who stepped up to the plate and delivered when it mattered the most.
In just one over, Rinku sent set-batter Kusal Perera (46) and then Ramesh Mendis (3) back to the bench to reduce Sri Lanka's score to just two runs from six balls.
Suryakumar took the initiative, taking two wickets in a row to bring the score down to three runs on the final delivery. Chamindu Wickramasinghe then hit a double to send the game to the Super Over.
Washington Sundar continued to shine, scoring two runs, and removing Kusal Mendis and Nissanka to limit Sri Lanka to just two runs.
Suryakumar executed a sweep to secure the win, ending Sri Lanka's T20I series with a whitewash.
After being put to bat by Sri Lanka, India faced a tough situation, reduced to 35/4 at the end of the powerplay. Debutant Chamindu Wickramasinghe set the pace early in the match by completing his four overs in a single spell and took out Sanju Samson for a four-ball duck.
Before Samson's dismissal, Yashasvi Jaiswal was caught out by Maheesh Theekshana.
Rinku Singh (1) became Theekshana's next victim, and Yadav was out while attempting his signature shot against Asitha Fernando.
Matheesha Pathirana had to leave the field at the end of the seventh over, suffering an injury to his right shoulder. Afterward, he returned to the game but didn't bowl in the innings.
Shivam Dube came off the bench without making a significant impact. Shubman Gill and Riyan Parag worked together to stabilize India's position, building a 50-run partnership.
Wanindu Hasaranga was brought back into the attack, and he single-handedly disrupted India's innings in just one over.
In the end, it was a team effort, with Gill and Parag leading the charge, helping India secure a win in the Super Over.
He took out Gill (39) and Parag (26) all in one over to create a tense situation. Washington Sundar (25) made a brief appearance to boost India's total to 137/9.
Quick Score: India 137/9 (Shubman Gill 39, Riyan Parag 26; Maheesh Theekshana 3-28; Maheesh Theekshana 3-28) vs Sri Lanka 137/8 (Kusal Perera 46, Kusal Mendis 43; Rinku Singh 2-3, Suryakumar Yadav 2-5).
