India received some positive news ahead of the third T20I against Sri Lanka, with off-spin all-rounder Deepti Sharma declared fit and available for selection. India head coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed the update on the eve of the match on Thursday. Deepti had missed the second T20I in Visakhapatnam after suffering from a mild fever. The Indian team management decided not to take any risk, and the BCCI medical team closely monitored her recovery. India went on to win that match by seven wickets and now lead the five-match series 2-0.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Muzumdar assured that Deepti is fully fit and ready to play. “Deepti is absolutely fine. She’s available and fit,” he said. Muzumdar also spoke about pacer Renuka Singh Thakur, who has not played in the first two matches of the series. He explained that her absence was due to the team trying out different combinations and not because of any injury concerns. “For Renuka, again, we were looking at a different combination. Also trying out a few things, and she’s an integral part of this team, as you’ve known in the last two years. It’s just about trying out a few things within the group,” Muzumdar said. The coach also shared an update on Jemimah Rodrigues, who has been in good form in the series so far. Jemimah scored an unbeaten 69 in the first T20I and followed it up with a 26 in the second match at Visakhapatnam. However, she did not take part in the practice session ahead of the third T20I. Muzumdar clarified that Jemimah missed practice only as a precaution. He said she had a small issue but is doing well and was given rest to avoid any risk. “Jemimah had a little bit of an issue, but I think she’s fine. She’s just resting today. The doctors and the physios are having a close look at her, monitoring her consistently. She should be fine. It’s just a mandatory rest that she wants,” he explained. When asked about the team combination for the third T20I, Muzumdar said the final decision on the playing XI will be taken on match day. “We’ll decide the playing XI on the morning of the game,” he said. With key players fit and available, India will look to continue their strong run in the series and aim to seal an unassailable lead against Sri Lanka.
