KL Rahul-Shikhar Dhawan opening duo, Shardul Thakur help India thrash Sri Lanka by 78 runs in third T20I, clinch series 2-0

[caption id=“attachment_7892881” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] India thrashed Sri Lanka by 78 runs in the third and final T20I in Pune to clinch the three-match series 2-0. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_7892891” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Put into bat, KL Rahul continued his good form, smashing 54 off 36 balls. The opener yet again made a strong case for becoming the first choice to partner Rohit Sharma going into the T20 World Cup in Australia. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_7892901” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Meanwhile, the battle for the opening slot intensified as Shikhar Dhawan struck 52 off 36 balls, thereby making a statement after coming back from injury. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_7892911” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] After a solid start, it was Shardul Thakur who provided the Men in Blue the finish they needed, striking 22 off 8 deliveries as the hosts posted 201/6 on the board. Thakur was equally impressive with his bowling and finished with figures of 2/19 from his 3 overs. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_7892921” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Speedster Navdeep Saini rattled through the Sri Lankan line-up, picking up three wickets. He was also adjudged the Player of the Series for his consistent performances. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_7892931” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Dhananjaya de Silva played a lone hand of 57 off 36 balls but is was not enough to help the hosts reach anywhere close to India’s mammoth total. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_7892941” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Angelo Mathews, who has been recalled after a 16-month absence from the shortest form of the game, also played the match. The all-rounder scored 31 runs while going wicket-less and conceding 38 runs from his three overs. AP[/caption]