DHARAMSALA: India whitewashed Sri Lanka in the three-match series on Sunday, with Shreyas Iyer hitting an unbeaten 73 to lead India to a record-equaling 12th consecutive T20I win.

India romped home with 19 balls to spare, chasing 147 for victory, thanks to Iyer’s third consecutive unbeaten half-century. They won by six wickets in Dharamsala, a Himalayan highland town.

India has stayed unbeaten since losing to New Zealand in the World Cup last year, climbing to the top of the world T20 rankings with a 3-0 whitewash of the West Indies earlier this month.

India drew even with Afghanistan, who had won 12 consecutive T20I matches from February to September of this year.

As the hosts won the series without Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, skipper Rohit Sharma said it’s wonderful to see players taking risks and delivering in the year of the T20 World Cup.

“We just want to move forward. It’s going to be a big challenge but it’s nice to have guys in form rather than not in form,” Rohit said after the win.

“If the guys take the opportunity the way some of these guys have taken, you can move from strength to strength.”

Despite skipper Dasun Shanaka’s unbeaten 74 off 38 deliveries, the bowlers set the tone for victory, restricting Sri Lanka to 146 for five.

In response, India lost Rohit, who overtook Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik (124 matches) as the most capped T20I player, for five in the second over of the chase.

Iyer, who smashed nine fours and one six in his 45-ball innings, then took command and put on 48 runs with wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson, who was dismissed for 18.

Iyer, who is undefeated in the series after notching up not out scores of 57 and 74 in the first two victories, kept up the tempo to reach fifty in 29 deliveries with a six.

Lahiru Kumara claimed two wickets, including Deepak Hooda for 21, but Iyer remained unstoppable in a 45-run unbroken stand with Ravindra Jadeja (22).

“I am not keeping any expectation from myself nor from the team coaches because the competition in our team is immense and every individual is capable of winning you games,” Iyer, who was named man of the match and series, told reporters.

“I want to enjoy each and every moment and opportunity that I have been provided with and I like to finish off the game and that’s my mindset.”

Sri Lanka had earlier lost their top four batters for 29 runs after electing to bat, but Shanaka responded with a blitz of nine fours and two sixes.

Shanaka, who hit 47 not out in his team’s second loss, went above and above his T20I best of 54 to pound the bowlers and put on an unbeaten 86-run stand with Chamika Karunaratne (12).

In the first over, pace bowler Mohammed Siraj struck as Danushka Gunathilaka pulled a short delivery onto the stumps.

Then, in his first two overs, Avesh Khan dismissed Pathum Nissanka for one and Charith Asalanka for four.

In a 31-run fifth-wicket stand that was broken by medium-pace bowler Harshal Patel, wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal and Shanaka tried to rebuild.

Patel dismissed Chandimal for 25.

Shanaka stood steadfast as he approached his fifty with a boundary off Avesh, ready to make an attack.

The two teams will now travel to Mohali for the first of two Tests, which will be Kohli’s 100th five-day match.

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