3 Player Battles to watch out for in India vs Sri Lanka T20Is ft. Suryakumar Yadav vs Wanindu Hasaranga
Sri Lanka will host India for a three-match T20I series in Pallekele, beginning on Saturday, July 27. The T20 World Cup champions begin a new era in the format after the retirements of veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja as Suryakumar Yadav has been named the new captain.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, had a disastrous T20 World Cup campaign as they couldn't even get out of their group and qualify for the Super Eight phase. Wanindu Hasaranga stepped down from captaincy and Charith Asalanka has been named as the new skipper.
There are several experienced names on both sides who when coming up against each other will form some intriguing match-ups. On that note, let's take a look at three such match-ups:
#3 Kusal Mendis vs Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj has fond memories of playing in Sri Lanka, albeit in a different format, as it was his six-wicket haul in the final that helped India clinch the Asia Cup last year. While he will be motivated to do well against every Lankan batter, he has a great match-up against Kusal Mendis.
The Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter is arguably the biggest threat for India with the bat as he could get going and help the hosts post a competitive total. However, he has scored just nine runs in 29 balls faced off Siraj in ODIs and has been dismissed as many as four times.
It will be interesting to see if a change of format brings a change in luck for Mendis or whether Siraj continues to dominate in the series.
#2 Hardik Pandya vs Dasun Shanaka
All eyes will be on Hardik Pandya after a sensational T20 World Cup campaign. He scored 144 runs at a strike rate of more than 150 and also chipped in with 11 wickets. Sri Lanka will know that once Hardik gets going, it will be difficult to stop him.
The hosts do have a favorable match-up for Hardik in Dasun Shanaka. The former Sri Lankan captain bowls a gentle medium pace, but it has proved effective against the Indian all-rounder. Hardik has scored just 13 runs in 12 balls off Shanaka and has been dismissed three times.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav vs Wanindu Hasaranga
Arguably the biggest match-up of the series will be the face-off between Suryakumar Yadav and Wanindu Hasaranga. Suryakumar is one of the best batters in T20 cricket and Hasaranga too has a reputation of being a genuine match-winner with the ball.
However, Suryakumar has dominated Hasaranga when it comes to match-ups. The No.2-ranked T20I batter has faced 49 balls from Hasaranga, scoring a staggering 89 runs and being dismissed just once.
Hasaranga will need to set the record straight and come out on top or else Suryakumar could help India dominate the entire series.