India opened their ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 campaign with a hard-fought 59-run (DLS method) victory over Sri Lanka in Guwahati. On paper, the result might suggest a comfortable win, but the contest was anything but straightforward.
India’s batting order faced turbulence, collapsing dramatically from 120/2 to 124/6 within the span of a few overs. The architect of that collapse was none other than Sri Lanka’s seasoned left-arm spinner, Inoka Ranaweera, whose guile and precision once again proved decisive against the hosts.
Ranaweera finished with figures of 4/46 in nine overs, a spell that not only broke the backbone of India’s innings but also injected belief into the Sri Lankan side. She dismissed Pratika Rawal early, but her defining moment came in the 26th over- a magical passage of play where she dismantled India’s middle order.
With immaculate flight and control, she removed Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur in the span of 5 balls. Suddenly, from a position of strength, India were left reeling at 124/6, rattled and vulnerable.
This wasn’t the first time Inoka had brought India to its knees. Memories remain fresh of her career-best 4/39 against the same opponents in 2022, and in Guwahati, history seemed to repeat itself. Once again, her artistry gave Sri Lanka a foothold in a match where they were otherwise chasing the game.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ranaweera remained measured, focusing on the positives despite the loss: “As a team we saw some huge positives in bowling and batting and that’s what we are going to take in future.”
Reflecting on the turning point of the innings, her devastating 26th over, she credited execution over planning: “We went through our strength, and we needed to execute, and we did the execution well.”
For Sri Lanka, her presence is not just about wicket-taking ability but also about experience and leadership. Asked about succession planning within the squad, Ranaweera acknowledged the need to groom the next generation of bowlers.
Yet, the left-arm spinner is also honest in identifying areas of concern. Fielding lapses, she admitted, cost the team momentum at key junctures, having dropped Amanjot Kaur thrice: “It’s not just fielding, which is what I’m going to say that happened, the execution failed at the wanted time, so I felt that was a situation that did not go right.”
Despite her individual brilliance, Ranaweera was quick to highlight the support system around her: “I was well supported by wicketkeeper Anushka and captain Chamari, so I can’t think of one particular moment.”
Looking ahead, Sri Lanka will now travel to Colombo to face defending champions Australia, a daunting challenge. But Ranaweera insists her team is not short on confidence.
With 84 ODI wickets to her name, Ranaweera remains one of Sri Lanka’s most reliable performers. Her ability to strike in clusters, exploit turning conditions, and unsettle even the most established batting line-ups has made her indispensable. Against India, she once again demonstrated why she is considered the backbone of the Sri Lankan bowling unit.
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