India were recently crowned the world champions in the shortest format of the sport in the West Indies and USA. They will play a struggling Sri Lankan side in the second T20I of the three-match bilateral series. The contest will take place at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele, outside of Kandy. This will be the first assignment of the new head coach, Gautam Gambhir.
Sri Lanka's interim head coach Sanath Jayasuriya will coach for this series. The team has many exciting players in their ranks. Yet, they can worry that experienced seamer Nuwan Thushara has to miss out due to injury. This has opened the door for promising left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka to come in. It will be interesting to see if he manages to get a few wickets under his belt.
Both these teams are expected to field youngsters keen on expressing themselves to the best of their potential. India has many players who will be keen on showcasing to the selectors how gifted they are, as does Sri Lanka. The hosts have selected a few seniors for this series, including the likes of Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, and Wanindu Hasarang. This means that the Indians will not have an easy task on their plate.
Predicted Squads
SL: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dinesh Chandimal, Charith Asalanka (c), Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka.
IND: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Sanju Samson (wk), Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.
Key Players
Avishka Fernando (SL): Top-order batter Avishka Fernando comes into this series after a stunning run of form in the recently-concluded Lanka Premier League. He will want to recreate this form against the Indians and make them pay for every mistake they make with the ball.
Suryakumar Yadav (IND): Suryakumar Yadav, the hero for India in the final of the T20 World Cup earlier this year, was made the side captain for the series. He has been tasked with leading a bunch of youngsters against a hungry-looking Sri Lankan side.
Match Prediction
India will feel they have an advantage over their opponents in this game. Sri Lanka have a lot of great players in their ranks who would like to show India their place. It will be exciting to see how India conquer Lanka's challenges, who will also have the crowd's support.