As the dust settles on the recently concluded Lanka Premier League (LPL), one thing is clear – spin dominated over pace in Pallekele. The question on everyone’s minds now is, will this trend continue in the upcoming T20I series between India and Sri Lanka?
In what can only be described as a new beginning for both teams, Saturday will mark the start of a new T20I era for India and Sri Lanka. With stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja bidding adieu to the format, India has named Suryakumar Yadav as their new captain. On the other hand, Sri Lanka has moved on from the likes of Angelo Mathews, with Charith Asalanka taking over the helm from Wanindu Hasaranga. Both teams have also welcomed new head coaches, with Gautam Gambhir leading India and Sanath Jayasuriya taking over for Sri Lanka in an interim capacity.
While both teams are embarking on a new journey, their starting points couldn’t be more different. India recently lifted the ICC T20 World Cup trophy, ending their long-awaited drought, while Sri Lanka suffered an early exit from the same tournament. Following their World Cup triumph, India went on to thump Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series with a 4-1 victory. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan players showcased their skills in the LPL, where Asalanka guided Jaffna Kings to the title.
Both Asalanka and Suryakumar have prior experience leading their national sides. Asalanka led Sri Lanka in a couple of T20Is against Bangladesh earlier this year, while Suryakumar captained India in seven T20Is against Australia and South Africa.
However, India will not be at full strength for this series as star bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been rested. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has faced setbacks with Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, and Binura Fernando all ruled out due to various ailments, with a flu outbreak further complicating matters for the team.
In terms of recent form, Sri Lanka has a mixed record with WLLWL in their last five completed T20Is, while India boasts an impressive record of WWWWL.
The spotlight will be on Matheesha Pathirana from Sri Lanka and Shubman Gill from India. Pathirana shone for Colombo Strikers in the LPL, showcasing his prowess as a bowler with 15 wickets in nine matches. His death bowling skills were particularly impressive, with an economy rate of 7.02 being the best among bowlers who bowled at least five overs at the death. With experience from the IPL, Pathirana will be a key player for Sri Lanka against India.
The predicted line-ups for the match include Pathirana in the Sri Lankan team alongside stalwarts like Wanindu Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka, while India will feature the likes of Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, and Washington Sundar.
Some interesting stats and trivia to note are that Sri Lanka has only beaten India once in a bilateral T20I series, while India has been dominant this year with 15 wins out of 16 T20Is played. Suryakumar’s power-hitting prowess has also seen him climb to fifth on the list of most sixes in T20Is.
As the stage is set for an exciting T20I series between India and Sri Lanka, all eyes will be on whether spin will once again hold sway over pace in Pallekele or if a new trend will emerge in this clash of titans.
