Suryakumar Yadav smashed Sri Lanka into defeat as he blew down the visiting team with a hurricane innings of 112 not out as India raced to 228 for 5 to win the third and final T20 International by 91 runs and with it the series 2-1 in Rajkot yesterday.
Sri Lanka could not make any headway in reaching the target and kept losing wickets at regular intervals as the opening pair of Kusal Mendis (23) and Pathum Nissanka (15) fell in the first six power play overs.
Recalled Avishka Fernando fell for just one run caught on the fine-leg boundary after which Dhananjaya de Silva (22), Charith Asalanka (19), Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva (9) and Dasun Shanaka (23) did not last long at the crease as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 137 in 16.4 overs.
Yadav took up position with India on 52 for 2 in six overs and reached his century in just 45 balls with eight sixes and six fours as he and Shubman Gill (46) hammered the Sri Lankan bowlers to all corners of the field.
The pair posted 111 runs in just 8.5 overs but the exit of Gill who struck three sixes and two fours brought more misery for Sri Lanka as Axar Patel joined Yadav to wreck further havoc on the bowlers.
Patel hit four fours in making 21 off just nine balls but Yadav maintained the relentless onslaught on the Sri Lankans as he finished his innings on 112 from 51 balls hitting as many as nine sixes and seven fours.
Dilshan Madushanka and Chamika Karunaratne conceded 55 and 52 runs respectively in their quota of four overs while Maheesh Theekshana gave away 48 runs in his four overs.
Scores:
India 228 for 5 in 20 overs (Rahul Tripathi 35, Shubman Gill 46, Suryakumar Yadav 112 not out, Axa Patel 21 not out, Dilshan Madushanka 2 for 55)
Sri Lanka 137 in 16.4 overs (Pathum Nissanka Silva 15, Kusal Mendis 23, Dhananjaya de Silva 22, Charith Asalanka 19, Dasun Shanaka 23, Hardik Pandya 2 for 30, Arshdeep Singh 3 for 20, Umran Malik 2 for 31, Yuzvendra Chahal 2 for 2 for 30)