IND vs SL 2022: 3 records that can be broken in the upcoming first T20I
Following their recent 2-0 win Test series win against Bangladesh, Team India will be looking to start 2023 on a winning note when they host Sri Lanka for a T20I series.
A three-match T20 international series between the two Asian sides is scheduled to begin on Tuesday (3 January). The game will take place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai from 7.00 PM IST.
The next two T20Is are scheduled for January 5 and 7 January and will be played in Pune and Rajkot, respectively. The three T20Is will be followed by a three-match ODI series which will be played from 10-15 January.
India T20I series against Sri Lanka starts tomorrow 😎
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The current Asia Cup champions, Sri Lanka, have a great talent pool in their ranks and will be looking to give India a run for their money.
The hosts, on the other hand, will be led by Hardik Pandya and start as favorites, despite resting senior players including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
The upcoming first match in Mumbai on Tuesday also offers a chance for both teams to break a slew of records. Let's take a look at three of the most prominent among them.
#1 Kusal Mendis will make his 50th T20I appearance for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's blistering opener Kusal Mendis is set to reach a personal milestone as the opening T20I will mark his 50th appearance for Sri Lanka in this format.
Ever since the right-hander was slotted in as an opener alongside Pathum Nissanka, he has been producing the goods for his team.
In his 49-game T20I career so far, Mendis has amassed 1,059 runs at an average of 22.5 and a strike rate of just under 130. He also has 10 half-centuries to his name in the shortest format.
#2 India will play their 50th international game at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday
Situated in Mumbai, the Wankhede Stadium is an iconic venue for India. It is even more special given that the Men in Blue lifted their momentous second ODI World Cup, in 2011, at the very same stadium.
On Tuesday, the Indian team will play their 50th international match at the Wankhede Stadium. Thus, the famous stadium will become only the fourth ground in India to host the home team for 50 international matches.
The venue where Team India have played the highest number of international matches is the Sharjah Cricket Ground in Sharjah, UAE (62 matches).
#3 Yuzvendra Chahal can become India's leading wicket-taker in T20Is
India's prime leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal could attain a significant personal record against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. If the wily tweaker manages to take at least four wickets in the match on Wednesday, he will become the leading wicket-taker for India in the shortest format.
The Kulcha love continues ❤️
📸: Yuzvendra Chahal
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With 90 wickets in 87 T20Is to his name, Bhuvneshwar Kumar currently leads the wicket-taking charts for India. Chahal, on the other hand, has picked up 87 wickets from 71 matches in this format.
Moreover, the Haryana-born leg-spinner is also just five wickets away from becoming the first-ever Indian to take 300 T20 wickets. Chahal has picked up 295 T20 wickets in 260 T20 matches in his career so far.