Sports

Have a look at India’s playing XI vs Sl in the 1st T20

JeetRatneshwar

Published on January 3, 2023

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Key takeaways:

India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I match: Team India expects to get off to a winning beginning in the new year as they host Sri Lanka in the first three matches on Tuesday.

Squads:

India: Hardik Pandya (c), Suryakumar Yadav (VC), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar.

Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga (vc), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara.

The start of the Hardik Pandya era

The three-T20I series opposite Sri Lanka could very well mark the start of a new era in Indian cricket, with the BCCI choosing to skip the trio of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul and sticking with Hardik Pandya as the captain in the briefest format.

Pandya had before directed the Indian squad in Ireland and New Zealand after successfully leading Gujarat Titans to crown victory on their IPL debut. This time, his selection as the skipper appears permanent.

Team India’s run so far:

India has had an eclectic run across all competitions since their semi-final departure from the T20 World Cup at the hands of eventual winners England, winning the T20I series in New Zealand 1-0 but losing the one-dayers by an equal margin.

They would then fail yet another ODI series in Bangladesh after back-to-back losses in Dhaka but would end the year on a high with a 2-0 win in the Test series against the Tigers.

Sri Lanka’s run so far:

On the other hand, Sri Lanka has held little cricketing activity in recent months, playing a three-game ODI series opposite Afghanistan at home beside the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup, with the Dasun Shanaka-led team winning the former after defeating Pakistan in the final.