IND vs SL Match Preview
India's bowling lineup remains a significant concern although Hardik Pandya's bowling was a huge bonus in the previous match. Harshal Patel has been poor at the depth for quite some time now and both spinners were ineffective in comparison to the Sri Lankan spinners.
The batting lineup also did not live up to expectations. Gill, Kishan, SKY, and Samson all showed glimpses of what they are capable of but did not kick on. Samson may be replaced by Rahul Tripathi for this match. The lower order of Pandya, Hooda, and Axar is in decent form and certainly adds a lot of depth to the lineup.
The bowling lineup for Sri Lanka is excellent and the spinners can expect a bit more help from the Pune surface. Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana were the standout bowlers for Sri Lanka although Deepak Hooda did punish them toward the end.
The fast bowling unit seemed lacking in confidence as Kasun Rajitha kept missing his length and Madushanka was wayward as well.
As far as the Sri Lankan batting foes, we saw some lusty hitting from Dasun Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne at the end which was quite impressive. Kusal Mendis also looked good before getting out but Sri Lanka needs more from Pathum Nissanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Charitha Asalanka.
Weather Report
The conditions in Pune are quite good for cricket. There is no rain predicted and the temperatures should be quite moderate.
Pitch Report
The pitch is a black soil one that slows down as the match progresses and offers some help to the spinners from the start.
A score of around 170 can be quite competitive at this venue.
Notable stats
Harshal Patel and Deat Bowling Woes
Harshal Patel has now conceded more sixes (41) than any other Indian bowler since the start of 2022. He also has an economy rate of 9.18 in T20 international (the worst for any Indian bowler). He could find his place in jeopardy if Arshdeep is fit.
Team News
India could be forced to make a few changes to its playing eleven for this match. Sanju Samson has not traveled to Pune with the team because of an apparent knee injury. Also, Arshdeep Singh may have recovered from his injury and could slot back into the lineup.
IND vs SL Probable 11
IND Playing 11
- Ishan Kishan (Wk)
- Shubman Gill
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Rahul Tripathi
- Hardik Pandya (C)
- Deepak Hooda
- Axar Patel
- Shivam Mavi
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Umran Malik
- Arshdeep Singh
SL Playing 11
- Pathum Nissanka
- Kusal Mendis (Wk)
- Dhananjaya de Silva
- Charith Asalanka
- Bhanuka Rajapaksa
- Dasun Shanaka (C)
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Chamika Karunaratne
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Kasun Rajitha
- Dilshan Madushanka
Dream11 Prediction
We think Sri Lanka missed its best chance of picking up a victory in the previous match. India's batting will be better prepared coming into this match and we think it will be able to score more freely against the Sri Lanka spinners this time around. Another close match is likely but India should eventually prevail.
Top Picks
Ishan Kishan - There is no doubt that Kishan will be tested with a lot of spin but he certainly has the capability to combat that. His brilliant strike-rate makes him a massive threat in the powerplay and his excellent record against Sri Lanka makes him a good pick as well.
Wanindu Hasaranga - He bowled well in the previous match and scored important runs as well. There is no doubt he will be highly owned but having him in your Dream11 team is highly recommended.
Suryakumar Yadav - The best T20 batter in the world had a rare failure in the previous match. His style of playing is not going to change, though. We are backing him to make it count in this one.
IND vs SL Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: I Kishan
Batters: S Yadav (C), D Hooda, P Nissanka
All-rounders: D de Silva, A Patel, H Pandya, W Hasaranga (VC)
Bowlers: Y Chahal, A Singh, M Theekshana
