Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 31 (NationPress) India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur commended her teammates for their dedication and urged them to develop a winning mindset after the team completed a clean sweep against Sri Lanka with a 5-0 victory, clinching the fifth and final T20I by 15 runs in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kaur, who earned the Player of the Match title for her remarkable performance scoring 68 runs off 43 balls, anticipates that her squad will continue their winning streak leading up to the T20 World Cup. This clean sweep also represents India Women’s third 5–0 triumph in a bilateral T20I series, following similar successes against the West Indies in 2019 and Bangladesh in 2024.

Earlier in 2024, India achieved glory in the ODI World Cup, overcoming South Africa in the final to claim their first-ever trophy.

"The year 2025 has been extremely rewarding for us, and the hard work we’ve put in has finally been recognized. Now, we must maintain our good habits and continue winning as we have this year,” stated Harmanpreet Kaur.

She further emphasized, "Our success is largely due to our extensive experience playing T20 cricket together. It was crucial for us to have faith in our abilities. Everyone remained positive when Sir Amol Muzumdar discussed improving our strike rates and elevating our performance standards. We aim to leverage this series as a stepping stone for future successes."

Despite the absence of key players like Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, Kaur excelled by scoring 68 runs when the team was struggling at 77 for 5, forming a crucial 61-run partnership with Amanjot Kaur to steer the team to a commendable score. Her innings featured nine boundaries and one six.

"As a batter, it’s my duty to strengthen our batting order and make a significant contribution. Transitioning from ODIs to T20s was challenging, but the excitement to play was palpable. We fought hard for this victory and are pleased with how everything unfolded. We wanted full participation in this series," Kaur expressed.

With the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 set to kick off on January 9, Kaur is now focused on the Women’s T20 World Cup, hoping to replicate the success achieved in the ODI World Cup.

"The WPL is our next big challenge, and it’s vital for all of us. We aspire to play our best cricket and enjoy the process. The upcoming six months are crucial as we aim to continue our hard work and elevate our standards. We hope that the momentum we gained in ODIs translates to our T20 efforts as well," Harmanpreet concluded.