IND vs SL: 1st T20I Preview – India set for a fresh start in 2023
India and Sri Lanka will be locking horns in the first T20I at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3. The Men in Blue remained unbeaten in both the home and away bilateral T20I series in 2022 and would be looking to take that confidence forward into the new year.
More importantly, India will be fielding a young brigade for the three-match series with an eye on the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. They will be led by Hardik Pandya as regular skipper Rohit Sharma is yet to recover from his thumb injury. Batting megastar Virat Kohli has asked for rest while KL Rahul has taken a leave for his marriage.
While Ishan Kishan might be the first-choice stumper for this series, Kerala cricketer Sanju Samson had also been included in the Indian squad and it remains to be seen whether he will be getting a game this time around.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, would be led by star all-rounder Dasun Shanaka and they would be eager to prove a point or two in this T20I series. The Lankans, who are the reigning T20 Asia Cup champions, had handed India a six-wicket defeat in their previous meeting.
Head to head:
Pitch and Conditions
The Wankhede Stadium has been a perfect batting track in the last few years and the bowlers have struggled to find their rhythm in both innings. Teams prefer chasing at this venue on winning the toss keeping the dew factor in mind as the game progresses.
Venue details: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Last T20I at the venue: IND 240/3 in 20 overs| WI: 173/8 in 20 overs.
Here’s the probable playing XI for India vs Sri Lanka clash:
India:
The onus will be on the likes of Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav to make good use of their purple patch and score at a brisk rate. The young bowlers also need to shoulder the responsibilities in this series.
Sri Lanka:
The Sri Lankan team also consists of some of the gifted batters in the shortest format including Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Pathum Nissanka, etc. and their bowling department also looks very promising with the presence of lethal leggie Wanindu Hasaranga.
