IND vs SL 1st T20 Match Prediction

IND vs SL Team Previews

India

India has picked a T20 squad that finally seems to be heading into a new era. No Rohit Sharma, No Virat Kohli, and No KL Rahul for this series. There is also no Rishab Pant for this series and now with his accident, his absence could be a pretty long one. Hardik Pandya seems to be the long-term T20 captain for all intents and purposes with Suryakumar Yadav as his deputy. 

India has picked just four out-and-out batters for this series. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, SKY, and Rahul Tripathi. Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, and Hardik Pandya will all play dual roles but they are still primarily batters that can contribute in another field. 

We think six out of these eight will make the playing eleven for the first match. Whoever the team goes with, India will have six quality batting options out of which at least two will be able to contribute with the ball if needed. All we hope for is for Sanju Samson to be given an extended run to prove himself!

The number seven position is likely to go to Axar Patel with Washington Sundar in the reserve. The four bowling options for India could be Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, and Umran Malik.

This is a very strong team that is quite low on international experience but every single player has played a lot of IPL cricket. In home conditions, India is not going to be easy to beat.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has somewhat settled on the direction of its T20 team for the time being. Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga are the two youngsters leading the charge while Dasun Shanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Kusal Mendis have all made powerful impact performances in the recent past.

There is a lot of experience and belief in this Sri Lankan side. Believing them to be easy meat for the Indians is a huge mistake. 

Sri Lanka has also brought back Avishka Fernando to strengthen the batting lineup but we are not sure if he will get a game immediately. Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Chamika Karunaratne all play a vital role in this long Sri Lankan batting lineup. 

Bowling has been a bit of an issue for Sri Lanka in recent times but here again, they are building something that is pretty strong. Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Pramod Madushan, and Lahiru Kumara could all find a place in the playing eleven. 

Even players like Ashen Bandara, Kasun Rajitha, and Nuwan Thushara have done well while their under-19 star, Dunith Wellage is well on his way to a long international career. 

If Sri Lanka can play fearless cricket, it will end up surprising a lot of people.