NEW DELHI: India produced a commanding all-round performance to crush Sri Lanka by 30 runs in the fourth women's T20I, taking an unassailable 4-0 lead in the five-match series in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

The star of the show was the opening duo of Smriti Mandhana (80) and Shafali Verma (79), who stitched together a record-breaking 162-run partnership - India's highest for any wicket in women's T20Is - helping the team post their biggest total in the format, 221/2.

Once the batters had set the platform, spinner Vaishnavi Sharma backed it up with a brilliant bowling spell, claiming 2 wickets for just 24 runs in four overs, keeping Sri Lanka under pressure throughout their innings.

Chasing 222, Sri Lanka got off to a fiery start, with Hasini Perera blasting 33 off 20 balls, including seven boundaries, and skipper Chamari Athapaththu hitting 52 off 37 balls with three fours and three sixes. The duo provided early fireworks, but the target proved too steep for the visitors.

Wickets tumbled at the death as Sri Lanka struggled to keep up with the escalating run-rate, eventually finishing on 191/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Despite Perera's flurry of fours and Athapaththu's elegant strokeplay, India's record-setting total and disciplined bowling proved decisive.

Smriti Mandhana - Shafali Verma unleash carnage: Indian openers rewrite T20I history

In a high-scoring game where any error in line or length was punished severely by the batters from both the teams, the young Vaishnavi bowled a total of nine dot balls to exert pressure from one end while accounting for the dangerous Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama (20).

Arundhati Reddy (2/42) chipped in with a couple of vital strikes, dismissing Perera in the sixth over after a 59-run opening stand and later, got the rid of Kavisha Dilhari (13).

The fifth and final T20I will be played on December 30.

Earlier, Mandhana and Shafali went on a record-making spree, powering India to their highest Women's T20I total of 221 for two.

Highest match aggregate in Women's T20Is (FM teams)

425 - AUS-W vs WI-W, North Sydney, 2023
412 - IND-W vs SL-W, Thiruvananthapuram, 2025*
397 - IND-W vs ENG-W, Brabourne, 2018
393 - AUS-W vs SL-W, North Sydney, 2019

Having batted second in each of the three games so far in this five-match rubber, Mandhana and Shafali put on a batting masterclass to hammer Sri Lanka bowlers all around the Greenfield International Stadium after being asked to bat first.

Towards the end, Richa Ghosh smacked a 16-ball 40 not out and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur made 9-ball 16 not out, as India rattled up a massive total.

Indian openers Mandhana and Shafali shared a massive 162-run stand in 15.2 overs, which is now the best partnership for any wicket for the country in women's T20Is.

It was also the fourth occasion when Mandhana and Shafali stitched an alliance of 100 or more, as the pair bettered its own record of 143 against the West Indies at Gros Islet in 2019.

Mandhana also entered history books, becoming only the fourth batter after compatriot Mithali Raj, New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and England’s Charlotte Edwards to complete 10,000 international runs across formats.

On her part, Shafali continued with her red-hot form to make a third consecutive half-century in this series but missed a maiden ton in the format, which was for the taking.

She gave a return catch to Nimasha Meepage in the 16th over after making 79 off 46 balls with 12 fours and a six.

Without going on an overdrive, both Mandhana and Shafali pierced gaps with precision and brought out spectacular hits on both sides of the wicket.

In particular, Shafali's hit over the bowler Kawya Kavindi’s head on the final ball of the fourth over stood out as she took a few paces down the wicket to hammer it with full flow of the bat. Earlier in the over, Mandhana had collected two fours off the bowler.

Having had a quiet series so far given her lofty standards, Mandhana was in her elements as her drives were crisp and so were the hits on the on-side, where each of her three sixes were hit.

While both Mandhana and Shafali fell in quick succession, the hard-hitting Richa pummelled four fours and three sixes for her 40 not out while adding 53 runs for the unbroken third wicket with Harmanpreet as India zoomed past the 200-run mark.

(With PTI Inputs)