A clinical bowling display and a 91-run opening stand between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana helped India beat Bangladesh by seven wickets in the third T20I to seal the five-match series 3-0 in Sylhet.
After opting to bowl first on an overcast day, India restricted the hosts to a sub-par 117 for 8. Shafali blazed her way to a 38-ball 51, while Mandhana's 47 completed the formalities for India. Bangladesh have now lost all their last six T20Is.
After a disappointing tour in 2023, in which Shafali scored 30 runs and Mandhana 52 from three matches, India will be happy with their two openers getting some runs in Bangladesh, which will host the T20 World Cup later this year. On Thursday, the duo put on a solid 73-ball opening stand to blunt Bangladesh's innings. Mandhana and Shafali have a combined 2075 runs from 65 innings in T20Is, the second-highest tally among all teams and the most by an Indian pair.
Shafali started the fireworks from the word go with a powerful lofted drive over the head of left-arm pacer Fariha Trisna in the second over. Taking advantage of the bowlers' loose deliveries, she struck eight fours in the powerplay to reach 45 off 28 balls. That included three consecutive fours off left-arm spinner Nahika Akter's over. By the end of the powerplay, India were 59 for 0, needing just 59 off the remaining 84 balls. It took a stunning one-handed return catch by Ritu Moni in the 13th over to dismiss Shafali and break the opening partnership.
At the other end, Mandhana kept the scorecard ticking with elegant cover drives, sweeps and paddle sweeps as she also kept the strike rotating regularly. She also came down the track and smashed a six over the long-on fence off leg-spinner Rabeya Khan in the ninth over. She looked on course for a maiden T20I fifty for Bangladesh but fell three short when she skied one to deep square leg off Nahida Akter. In all, she struck five fours and a six off 41 balls.
Bangladesh lost three wickets for 19 runs in their 12th over, but it was too late for a comeback as India chased down the target in 18.3 overs.