Big picture: New beginnings
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.
Sri Lanka WLLWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India WWWWL
In the spotlight: Matheesha Pathirana and Shubman Gill
Team news: India to play three spinners?
Both Kusal Perera and Dinesh Chandimal did well as openers in the LPL, but whoever gets picked will have to bat at No. 3, with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis being the first-choice openers.
Sri Lanka 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Avishka Fernando, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Maheesh Theekshana, 9 Binura Fernando/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
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
“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