IND vs SL Match Preview
Inexperience from Umran Malik in his final over and just an incredible amount of no-balls from the entire bowling unit. Arshdeep Singh bowled 5 no balls in the two overs he bowled and ended up going for 37 runs. As someone who has been tasked with bowling at the death for India, Arshdeep Singh had a game to forget.
Shivam Mavi also ended up giving away 53 runs in his four overs, Umran Malik went for 48 in his four (but picked up three wickets), and Hardik Pandya was the only seamer with some respectable figures.
Pandya's two-three overs with the new ball are quite valuable and allow him to move his bowlers around later in the game. He could have given Deepak Hooda a go in the middle perhaps as the spinners were bowling well. Chahal and Axar both ended with excellent figures in a high-scoring game and should be full of confidence ahead of the third T20.
Of course, Axar was also the star with the bat. He came in at 57 for 5 in 9.1 overs with India all but buried. Axar went on to score 65 from 31 balls with 6 massive sixes and alongside SKY, took India to the brink of a miraculous victory.
Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, and Rahul Tripathi missed out in the previous match but they should not be counted out just yet. They are all class batters that will score runs given enough opportunities. On a flat batting track in Rajkot, we expect the Indian top order to be much more effective.
Kusal Mendia, Charith Asalanka, and Dasun Shanaka were fantastic in the previous match. The trio hit 14 sixes between them and were very severe on the Indian pacers. Shanaka is quickly establishing himself as one of the best in the business when it comes to the end overs. He also loves batting against India against whom he now has 407 runs in 19 innings at an excellent strike rate of 141.31 with 27 sixes!
The Sri Lankan spinners suffered a lot of punishment (Hasaranga went for 26 in one over) while the pacers did an excellent job. Kasun Rajitha and Dilshan Madushanka can be proud of their effort in the previous match. They were also well supported by Chamika Karunaratne and Maheesh Theekshana.
Sri Lanka's T20 team is quite well-balanced and its leading players are in form.
Weather Report
There is absolutely no rain predicted in Rajkot on match day. The conditions will be nice and comfortable as the temperatures start to drop by the time the match starts.
Pitch Report
This is a venue that is loaded in favor of the batters. All the bowlers have struggled with their economy rates but it has been the most severe for off-spinners and fast bowlers.
Batters will have an absolutely flat surface on which they can attack from the start. Team will target at least 8-9 runs per over and so something around 170 should be seen as par.
Notable stats
Dasun Shanaka and India
The Sri Lankan captain loves batting against India. He almost always tends to make a mark and has more runs, more sixes, and a better strike-rate against India than any other cricket playing nation.
Team News
We think Harshal Patel may make a comeback into the lineup in place of Arshdeep Singh but that may be a bit harsh on the youngster.
IND vs SL Probable 11
IND Playing 11
- Shubman Gill
- Ishan Kishan (Wk)
- Rahul Tripathi
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Hardik Pandya (C)
- Deepak Hooda
- Axar Patel
- Shivam Mavi
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Umran Malik
- Arshdeep Singh
SL Playing 11
- Kusal Mendis (Wk)
- Pathum Nissanka
- Dhananjaya de Silva
- Charith Asalanka
- Bhanuka Rajapaksa
- Dasun Shanaka (C)
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Chamika Karunaratne
- Dilshan Madushanka
- Kasun Rajitha
Dream11 Prediction
India's batting lineup is going to be hard to stop on the flat Rajkot pitch and we expect them to make fewer mistakes in this match. Sri Lanka is a strong team that will put up a tough fight but we think India should prevail.
Top Picks
Rahul Tripathi - He made his debut in the previous match and could not get many runs but he is a terrific batter that is batting at the top of the order. We think he could make a big impact in this match.
Dasun Shanaka - We are huge believers in following good form and that is something that Dasun Shanaka has in abundance at the moment. He is simply too good to not be in any Dream11 team at the moment.
Shubman Gill - A quiet start to his T20 career, Gill should not be overlooked. He is a class batter with plenty of success in the IPL. It is just a matter of time before he starts to score runs.
IND vs SL Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: K Mendis, I Kishan
Batters: S Yadav (C), D Shanaka, R Tripathi, S Gill (VC), P Nissanka
All-rounders: A Patel
Bowlers: Y Chahal, D Madushanka, M Theekshana
