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Rohit Sharma’s Indian team faced a crushing defeat in the third and final ODI against Sri Lanka, resulting in a 0-2 series loss.
Rohit Sharma’s Indian team endured a crushing 110-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI, culminating in a 0-2 series loss. This defeat places Sharma alongside legends Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin as only the third Indian captain to lose an ODI bilateral series against Sri Lanka. The loss on August 7, 2024, at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo ended a 27-year streak during which India had never lost a bilateral ODI series to the island nation.
India’s last ODI series defeat to Sri Lanka occurred in 1997, under the captaincy of Sachin Tendulkar. Prior to that, Mohammad Azharuddin was the first Indian captain to lose a series to Sri Lanka in 1993.
Sri Lanka, led by Charith Asalanka, set a target of 248 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their 50 overs. Avishka Fernando (96), Kusal Mendis (59), and Pathum Nissanka (45) were the key contributors with the bat for the hosts.
In reply, India’s batting struggled, and they were dismissed for just 138 runs in 26.1 overs. Rohit Sharma’s 35 and Washington Sundar’s 30 were the only bright spots for the visitors. The rest of the batting lineup failed to deliver, with no other player managing to score more than 20 runs.
Dunith Wellalage was the standout performer for Sri Lanka, claiming five wickets in the match. This marked his second five-wicket haul against India, with his previous achievement coming during the Asia Cup 2023. Following this series, the Indian team will have a month-long break before facing Bangladesh in a two-match Test series.
