Blind Cricket: India take unassailable series lead with seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in third T20

India defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the third T20 to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match Samarth Championship for Blind Cricket in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Chandana Deshapriya (76) scored a fifty to help Sri Lanka post 162/3 after being invited to bat first at the Karnail Singh Stadium. Dinesh Rathva, Naresh Tumda, Lokesh and Pankaj Bhue, who was adjudged the Player of the Match, then contributed with the bat as India chased down the target with 27 balls to spare.

India thus claimed the bilateral series with two more matches to go.

Sri Lanka got off to a decent start but lost two wickets inside the power play. In a must-win match, Deshapriya and skipper Damith Sandaruwan then started rebuilding the innings.

While Deshapriya scored 76 runs in 63 balls, Sandaruwan struck 46 in 47 balls.

For India, Bhue picked a wicket. Chasing 163, India started off well scoring 75 runs in the first eight overs. Pankaj and Dinesh laid the platform for the chase as the Men In Blue looked all set to claim the series.

India lost Dinesh in the eighth over an Pankaj in 12th but that didn’t derail the chase.

Naresh Tumda and Lokesha ensured India got over the line in the 16th over, asserting their dominance over the visiting side in the series. India made 164/3 in 15.3 overs.