'No Petrol, still came to see Smriti Mandhana' - Sri Lankan fan's picture with funny banner grabs attention

The T20I between India and Sri Lanka at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla saw India clinching the series for the first time since November 2019 as they defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets to win the game and extend their lead by 2-0. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will be aiming for a whitewash when they face Sri Lanka for the third and final game of the series at the same venue on Monday.

The recently concluded game saw a Sri Lankan local fan holding a funny banner dedicated to Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. The young fan grabbed the attention of the cameraman for his creative banner as his picture went viral on social media at the very instance. His banner read: “NO PETROL, but still came to see Smriti Mandhana” and it also had a couple of red hearts drawn.

Sri Lanka, which is hosting not just the Indian women’s team, but also the Australian men’s team currently, is going through a terrible socio-economic and political crisis. The country and the countrymen are facing a tough time, with a lack of fuel, electricity, and many more basic amenities, but the return of international cricket has given the public a reason to rejoice.

India’s comprehensive show helps the team to win the series

Speaking of how the match panned out, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu’s decision worked in the team’s favour as she alongside her opening partner Vishmi Gunaratne shared a brilliant 87-run partnership to kickstart the game. But once the stand was broken by pacer Pooja Vastrakar, the Sri Lankan batters lost the rhythm.

Towards the end, Indian bowlers kept breaking their momentum and scalped a handful of wickets to restrict the hosts to 125/7 in their 20-over quota. Starting off with the chase, Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana looked to build a strong partnership. The former had to walk back soon but added some quick-fire runs.

Sabbhineni Meghana performed some similar heroics and walked off after a top-notch cameo. Mandhana’s composure and Kaur’s precision helped India win the game with five balls to spare as the skipper finished off the game with a classic boundary.