India vs Sri Lanka 2017, 1st T20I: 5 things we learnt from the match
Aided by superb spells from spin twins Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav India thrashed Sri Lanka by a monstrous 93 runs in the first match of the T20I series at Cuttack. Opting to bowl first, Sri Lanka found the going tough, with Lokesh Rahul smashing a half-century. Although they pulled things back, they were met by a rampant MS Dhoni and a flamboyant Manish Pandey at the death.
The two took India to 180, a challenging total, but the dew meant that the visitors were still in with a chance. All of those thoughts were wiped out the moment Kuldeep and Chahal started bowling in tandem. They conceded few runs, flummoxed the batsmen with guile and ended with combined figures of 8-0-41-6. The Lankans, who offered no resistance whatsoever, were bowled out for a paltry 87.
#5 KL Rahul and his T20 exploits
KL Rahul has a special liking for the shortest format of the game. If anything, it was his exploits for Royal Challengers Bangalore that won him a spot in the Indian side in the first place. He is among the select few players in the format to average over 50 and once again showcased his consistency at Cuttack.
Opening the batting on a sticky, two-paced wicket, Rahul played out his nemesis, Akila Dananjaya, early on and then got into his groove with some eye-catching shots off the seamers. Even though he lost Rohit Sharma early, the opener looked fairly comfortable and notched a fine half-century before a Thisara Perera slower ball did him in.