In a highly anticipated match-up, Sri Lanka’s new T20I captain, Charith Asalanka, won the toss and elected to put India into bat in the first T20I clash held in Pallekele. Asalanka highlighted the importance of creating a conducive environment for his young squad while aiming for “more wins than what we’ve had recently.”
Sri Lanka opted for a bowling attack consisting of three frontline fast bowlers, supported by Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga as their primary spin options. Former captain Dasun Shanaka also secured a spot in the starting XI as an all-round choice.
On the other side, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav wasn’t overly concerned about setting a target for his team. He emphasized the importance of sticking to the successful template that led them to T20 World Cup victory just last month.
India made a strategic decision to bolster their batting lineup by including Axar Patel at No. 8, resulting in four specialist bowlers in the squad. Hardik Pandya and Riyan Parag were expected to provide bowling support, while Rinku Singh got the nod as a finisher over Shivam Dube.
The Indian team management continued to show confidence in Rishabh Pant by keeping him at the crucial No. 3 position, a role he fulfilled during the T20 World Cup. Sanju Samson, meanwhile, had to bide his time on the sidelines.
Having recently clinched a 4-1 T20I series win in Zimbabwe with a mostly inexperienced squad, the Indian team entered the match as reigning world champions. Sri Lankan players, on the other hand, came into the game after a month-long stint in the Lanka Premier League.
Both teams were under the guidance of new coaches, with Gautam Gambhir taking over from Rahul Dravid for India on a full-time basis, while Sri Lanka appointed former captain Sanath Jayasuriya as an interim coach.
The lineups for the match were set as follows:
Sri Lanka:
1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kamindu Mendis, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Wanindu Hasaranga, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Maheesh Theekshana, 9 Matheesha Pathirana, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Dilshan Madushanka
India:
1 Shubman Gill, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Rishabh Pant (wk), 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Riyan Parag, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed Siraj
With both teams geared up and ready to battle it out, Cricket fans around the world eagerly awaited the outcome of this thrilling encounter between the two sides.