Pune, Jan 10: India defeated Sri Lanka by 78 runs in the third and final T20 International to win the three-match series 2-0 here on Friday.

Sent into bat, India rode on K L Rahul (54 off 36) and Shikhar Dhawan's (52 off 36) 97-run opening stand to post a challenging 201 for six in their allotted 20 overs.

Manish Pandey then smashed 31 off 18 balls and skipper Virat Kohli, batting at number six, scored a brisk 17-ball 26.

But India wouldn't have crossed 200-run mark had it not been for Shardul Thakur's blistering 22 off only eight balls. He smashed two sixes and a boundary.

Defending the total, the Indian bowlers, led by right-arm pacer Navdeep Saini (3/28) Shardul Thakur (2/19), dished out a disciplined effort to bundle out Sri Lanka for 123 in 15.5 overs.

Off-spinner Washington Sundar also picked up two wickets giving away 37 runs from his four overs.

India, thus, won the series 2-0 after registering a comprehensive seven-wicket win in the second T20 International in Indore. The first match of the series was washed out in Guwahati without a ball being bowled.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.

The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.

The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.

Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.

The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.

"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.

To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.

"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.

The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.

The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.

It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.