The first match of the three-match T20 series between India and Sri Lanka is to be played on 27 July (Saturday) in Pallekele. Through this match, two-time World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir will act as the head coach, while Suryakumar Yadav will start his new innings as captain in this shorter format of the game. This T20 match will be played from 7.30 pm Indian time.
This T20 series is going to be of great importance for the Indian team. With Rahul Dravid as the head coach, India made it to the finals of the World Test Championship 2021-23, Cricket World Cup 2023 and T20 World Cup 2024. The Indian team was even successful in winning the title in the T20 World Cup 2024. In such a situation, the new head coach Gambhir will now have to take these successes to a new level. On the other hand, the Sri Lankan team is also going through a phase of change and would like to give a tough competition to India. If seen, five new things are going to be seen in this T20 series.
๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ #๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ‘๐ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป! ๐งข#SLvIND | @surya_14kumar pic.twitter.com/KmWz84jZnP
โ BCCI (@BCCI) July 26, 2024
New captains in both the teams: With the end of T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit Sharma retired from T20 International. In such a situation, Suryakumar Yadav has been made the captain of the Indian team for the T20 series against Sri Lanka. On the other hand, the Sri Lankan team has appointed all-rounder Charith Asalanka as the captain for the T20 series. All-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga had left the captaincy of Sri Lanka’s T20 team due to poor performance in the T20 World Cup 2024.
New coaches in both teams: Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended with the end of T20 World Cup 2024. After Dravid, Gautam Gambhir has become the head coach of the Indian team and this is his first assignment. On the other hand, Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLC) has appointed former opener Sanath Jayasuriya as the interim coach of its team. Jayasuriya will remain in this post till Sri Lanka’s tour of England in August-September.
First tour of Lanka after Kohli-Rohit’s retirement: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had said goodbye to the shortest format of cricket with the title win in the T20 World Cup 2024. However, both these greats will continue to represent India in ODI and Test cricket. After the retirement of Kohli-Rohit from T20 International, the Indian team has reached Sri Lanka for the first time.
All three T20 matches on the same ground: This is happening for the first time on Sri Lanka tour, when the Indian team will play all the matches of the T20 series at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Anyway, till now India has played only one T20 International match in Pallekele. Earlier on 7 August 2012, a T20 match was held between India and Sri Lanka on this ground. In that match, the Indian team had won a resounding victory by 39 runs.
India’s first series against Sri Lanka as T20 champion: For the first time, the Indian team is going to play a T20 series of more than one match against Sri Lanka, the T20 World Champion. Earlier, on 10 February 2009, the first T20 match was played against India and Sri Lanka, in which India won by three wickets. Even at that time the Indian team was the world champion in T20.
India’s T20 team for Sri Lanka tour: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khalil Ahmed and Mohammad Siraj.
Sri Lanka’s 16-member T20 squad: Charith Aslanka (captain), Pathum Nisanka, Kusal Pereira, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Velalage, Mahesh Tikshna, Chamindu Pandinkathi, Madusinghara, , Binura Fernando .
India-Sri Lanka schedule
27 July- 1st T20, Pallekele
July 28- 2nd T20, Pallekele
30 July- 3rd T20, Pallekele
2 August- 1st ODI, Colombo
4 August- 2nd ODI, Colombo