NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – India completed a 3-0 series sweep against Sri Lanka after Shreyas Iyer’s third successive half-century secured a six-wicket victory in the final Twenty20 International in Dharamsala yesterday.
Opting to bat, Sri Lanka posted 146-5 with skipper Dasun Shanaka scoring more than half the runs with his unbeaten 74 off 38 balls.
Iyer, who finished the series without being dismissed even once, smashed 73 not out as India returned to reach the victory target with 19 balls to spare.
With the series already in the bag, the hosts rested four frontline players, including wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan who was struck on the head while batting in the second match on Saturday.
Thanks to the depth in their squad, India joined Afghanistan and Romania as the countries to have won a record 12 consecutive Twenty20 Internationals.
India’s victory follows their 6-0 limited-overs romp against West Indies in the previous home series earlier this month.
Sri Lanka captain Shanaka was left to rue his decision to bat after winning the toss as they lost both their openers in the first two overs and slumped to 60-5 in the 13th over. Shanaka counter-attacked in a spectacular fashion scoring nearly two-runs-a-ball taking to take the tourists near the 150-mark.
India lost skipper Rohit Sharma early in their chase but Iyer once again anchored their chase as he and Ravindra Jadeja, who made 22 not out, guided India home.
The neighbours will now clash in a two-test series beginning in Mohali on Mar. 4.
