Sri Lanka and India. (Source – Twitter/X)
Sri Lanka and India cross swords in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele on Saturday, July 27.
There are quite a few interesting similarities between the two sides. Hosts Sri Lanka will be having a new captain at the helm, as Charith Asalanka has replaced Wanindu Hasaranga after the Asian giants suffered a first-round exit in the T20 World Cup last month under the leadership of the talismanic leg-spinner. Meanwhile, India have also named Suryakumar Yadav as their new T20I captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, who retired from the format after helping the Men in Blue win the T20 World Cup title after 17 years.
Also, both teams will be spearheaded by two new head coaches. Sanath Jayasuriya will serve as the interim head coach after Chris Silverwood vacated the seat following the T20 World Cup debacle. On the other hand, Gautam Gambhir will don the head coach’s cap for the Men in Blue, as he has taken over the reins from Rahul Dravid, whose tenure ended following the aforementioned global event.
The Sri Lankan players recently finished their commitments in what was an exhilarating season of the Lanka Premier League (LPL). Under the coach-captain duo, the Lankan Lions would want to start afresh and give their passionate fans a lot of reasons to celebrate.
India, on the other hand, are set to go through a transition phase, with the experienced trio of Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rohit retiring from T20Is. It will be interesting to see how Gambhir and Suryakumar work in tandem to shape the future of the defending T20 World champions.
Also Read: T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav opens up on his ‘special’ relationship with head coach Gautam Gambhir
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium Pitch Report
23 T20Is have been played so far at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. 13 matches have been won by teams batting first, while chasing teams have emerged victorious on nine occasions. One match ended in a No. Result. The average first innings score is 161. The captain who wins the toss could opt to bowl first and assess the conditions as this is the first game of the series.
Match Details:
| Match | Sri Lanka Vs India, 1st T20I |
| Venue | Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele |
| Date and Time | Saturday, July 27, 7:00 PM IST |
Head-To-Head Records
| Matches | 29 |
| Won by Sri Lanka | 09 |
| Won by India | 19 |
| Tied | – |
| No Result | 01 |
| First-ever Fixture | February 10, 2009 |
| Most-recent Fixture |
January 7, 2023 |
SL vs IND Probable Playing XIs
Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka are struggling with injuries to their pacers as Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara have been ruled out of the series. Left-arm speedster Dilshan Madushanka, who impressed during the ODI World Cup 2023, has been called to the squad. The onus will be on Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana to take wickets as they have a lot of experience bowling against the Indian batters and know what to expect.
Predicted XI
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (WK), Kamindu Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Charith Asalanka (C), Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Asitha Fernando, Binura Fernando, Matheesha Pathirana.
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India:
India have a strong squad at their disposal. Hardik Pandya’s presence gives them an option to play an extra batter if necessary. Arshdeep Singh, who impressed during the T20 World Cup, returns to the side and could form the new-ball pair along with Mohammed Siraj or Khaleel Ahmed. Meanwhile, it will be intriguing to see whether India picks up Sanju Samson, who warmed the bench during the World Cup or Rishabh Pant, who played all the matches during the 20-team event without much success.
Predicted XI
Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant/Sanju Samson (WK), Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Khaleel Ahmed.