West Indies won the third and deciding T20I against Sri Lanka by five wickets with two balls to spare in Kingston, sealing the three-match series 2-1.
Asked to bat first by West Indies captain Shai Hope at Sabina Park, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 169 in the final over. Dunith Wellalage top-scored with 43 off 28 balls, while Kamil Mishara made 28, Pathum Nissanka 26 and Wanindu Hasaranga 21. Shamar Joseph wrecked the lower order with 5 for 33 in his four overs — including the final wicket of Maheesh Theekshana in the 20th — to finish as Player of the Match.
The chase was set up by Sherfane Rutherford, whose 50 off 39 balls (three fours, four sixes) rescued West Indies from 53 for 4 after losing Hope, Brandon King, Ackeem Auguste and Shimron Hetmyer cheaply. A 81-run stand with Rovman Powell, who made 19, swung the contest, and Rutherford finished the job with West Indies reaching 170 for 5 in 19.4 overs.
Joseph was also named Player of the Series after taking 11 wickets across the three matches.
The result completes a mixed Caribbean tour for Kusal Mendis’s side. Sri Lanka had won the first ODI by 41 runs in Kingston before the second ODI was abandoned to rain, then lost the opening T20I at Sabina Park to Hope’s unbeaten 65 before levelling the series with a 37-run win in the second. The visitors sit ninth in the ICC men’s T20I rankings.
