Illness a concern for Sri Lanka as they flag off new era alongside India

Big picture: New beginnings

It will be the start of a new T20I era for both India and Sri Lanka when they come face-to-face in Pallekele on Saturday. For India, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja have retired from the format and Suryakumar Yadav has been named the new captain. Sri Lanka have moved on from Angelo Mathews, while Charith Asalanka has replaced Wanindu Hasaranga at the helm. Both teams have a new head coach as well. India have got Gautam Gambhir and Sri Lanka Sanath Jayasuriya, the latter in an interim capacity, though.

While it is a new beginning for both teams, their starting points could not have been more different. India recently ended their long-awaited ICC trophy drought by winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, a tournament where Sri Lanka were knocked out in the first round.

After that, India sent a second-string side to Zimbabwe where they won the five-match T20I series 4-1. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan players were busy with the Lanka Premier League where Asalanka led Jaffna Kings to the title.

Both Asalanka and Suryakumar have previously led their national sides. Asalanka in two T20Is against Bangladesh earlier this year and Suryakumar in seven T20Is in late 2023 against Australia and South Africa.

India are still not at full strength for this series, though. Jasprit Bumrah, arguably the best bowler in the world right now, has been rested. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have been dealt a few blows even before the start of the series. First, they lost Dushmantha Chameera (bronchitis), then Nuwan Thushara (broken finger), and now Binura Fernando, who has been hospitalised with a chest infection. There is a flu going around their camp, forcing them to call up allrounder Ramesh Mendis as a standby.

Form guide

Sri Lanka WLLWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)

India WWWWL

In the spotlight: Matheesha Pathirana and Shubman Gill

Playing for Colombo Strikers, Matheesha Pathirana was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the LPL with 15 scalps in nine matches. What stood out even more was his death bowling. In that phase, his economy of 7.02 was easily the best among those who bowled at least five overs at death. Throughout the tournament, Pathirana never bowled more than one over in the first half of the innings, a template likely to be followed by Sri Lanka as well. And having played in the IPL since 2022, Pathirana has plenty of experience of bowling to India batters.

Shubman Gill has admitted that his performance in T20Is leading up to the T20 World Cup was not up to expectations. From August 2023 until the World Cup, he scored 133 runs in eight T20Is, at an average of 16.62 and a strike rate of 126.66. While he did much better in the IPL – 426 runs at an average of 38.72 and a strike rate of 147.40 – once India made their mind to open with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli at the World Cup, there was no room for Gill in the squad. But the selectors have shown their faith by naming him the vice-captain for both ODIs and T20Is. It is up to Gill now to repay it.

Team news: India to play three spinners?

Kusal Perera had an excellent LPL as an opener. But with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis being the first choice for that role, Perera will have to fight it out with Avishka Fernando for a No. 3 role.

Sri Lanka 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Avishka Fernando/Kusal Perera, 4 Kamindu Mendis, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Maheesh Theekshana, 9 Asitha Fernando, 10 Dilshan Madushanka, 11 Matheesha Pathirana

Given the conditions, India are likely to pick Ravi Bishnoi as a third spinner over Khaleel Ahmed. Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag will compete for one middle-order spot.

India 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Rishabh Pant (wk), 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Ravi Bishnoi/Khaleel Ahmed, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Pitch and conditions: Spin over seam

In the LPL, the average first-innings total in Pallekele across five matches was 185. During those games, spinners fared much better, registering an economy of 7.64, as compared to fast bowlers, who went for 10.58 runs per over.

There is a forecast for rain during the daytime but not in the evening. So the match should be largely unaffected.

Stats and trivia: India’s dominance

Sri Lanka have beaten India only once in a bilateral T20I series, when they won 2-1 at home in 2021.
India have won 15 out of 16 T20Is they have played this year. Their only defeat came against Zimbabwe earlier this month.
Suryakumar (133) is currently fifth on the list of most sixes in T20Is. Five more sixes and he will be third.
Quotes

“I don’t want to change a lot. I want to try to get the best out of my players, and build an environment where they can be free and do their best.”

Charith Asalanka on being the captain

“Hardik [Pandya] has had the same role throughout and that’s not going to change. He’s a very important player for the team and we want him to continue the things he did in the World Cup.”

Suryakumar Yadav on Hardik Pandya’s role in the side