By- Delisha Arora

As India prepares to face Sri Lanka at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, Sri Lanka, cricket fans are all hyped up for an electrifying series. India arrived in Sri Lanka on the back of their T20 World Cup triumph.

Predicted Playing XI

India: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh

Sri Lanka:  Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamindu Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Charith Asalanka (Captain), Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka, Mahesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando.

Players To Watch Out For: 

1. Shubhman Gill has been in and out of the T20I since he made his debut. However he has led them to a 4-1 win against Zimbabwe and will be the deputy to Suryakumar Yadav in this T20I series against Sri Lanka. His performance will be under scrutiny till the time he proves why he deserves the spot of being a vice captain in this leg of the series.
2. Charith Asalanka is known to be one of the pillars of the batting order of Sri Lankan Cricket. He has shown glimpses of what he can do regularly. He has led the side from time to time captaining, having this side full time will pose him a different challenge. What needs to be seen now is, if he can manage the pressure of captaincy without letting it affect his batting skills.

Team Analysis

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka had a disappointing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Campaign, they did not even make it past the group stage. This is a chance for the country to rebuild their team from the start for the next T20 World Cup.

Charith Asalanka is the new captain of the T20I team and has a huge responsibility on his hands to deliver with the bat as well as the captaincy.

Sri Lanka’s pace attack is anchored by Matheesa Pathirana His remarkable precision and knack for generating movement make him a difficult bowler to contend with. The team will depend on his abilities to restrain India’s powerful batting lineup in this T20I series.

Sri Lanka will be missing the services of fast bowlers Nuwan Thushara and Dushmantha Chameera, who are out due to health reasons.

India

A lot of stars from India’s T20 World Cup Winning team are not part of the squad. Excellent players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jadeja have announced their retirement from the T20I format, while the superstar bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been rested.

India will open with Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Both showcased excellent form in the recent series against Zimbabwe, with Jaiswal being particularly impressive.

Suryakumar Yadav is anticipated to regain the number three position in the batting lineup. Recognized as one of the top T20I batters globally, he had a strong performance in the recent T20 World Cup. Yadav averages 63 against Sri Lanka in this format, boasting one century and two fifties, making him a significant threat to the opposition.

In the absence of Bumrah, India’s fast bowling department will be led by Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh.

Weather Conditions

The weather will be cloudy and humid, with chances of a couple of thunderstorms during the day. However the evening weather is clear, and we shall hopefully get a full game.

Pitch

The pitch is typically slow and spin friendly. Batters will find it easier to score early in the innings when the pitch is harder. As the game progresses, the situation for the batsmen will toughen as the pitch slows down. Spinners are expected to dominate the game.

The average first-innings score at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is 161. The highest total recorded here is Australia’s 263-3 against Sri Lanka in 2016, a match they won by 85 runs. In this game, the team batting first will aim to set a target of around 170-180 runs.