India vs Sri Lanka: 3 young India players to watch out for in T20I series
India will take on Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series starting on February 24th. They will continue to build their squad for the T20 World Cup slated to be held later this year. After a comprehensive 3-0 win over West Indies, Rohit Sharma and co. will be keen to put on another stellar display against Sri Lanka.
The visitors come into this series on the back of a 4-1 loss to Australia but are expected to fare better in familiar conditions. It will not be an easy proposition for them as India have a number of their first-choice players ready for selection.
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In this article, we take a look at three players from India to watch out for in the series.
3.) Sanju Samson
Rishabh Pant has been rested for this series and this will give Sanju Samson an opportunity to stake his claim for the middle-order spot. Ishan Kishan could well continue to open the innings and Samson might get his opportunity at the all-important number 4 position.
The right-hander has had a stop-start career so far in the international team. This opportunity could well be his final one before the selectors decide on an option for the T20 World Cup. The Kerala batter has played 10 T20Is for India since 2015 but has managed just 117 runs at an average of 11.70.
He has been a consistent run-scorer in the IPL, but has not managed to nail a spot in the national team. His performances here will be closely monitored.
2.) Avesh Khan
Deepak Chahar pulled his hamstring in the final T20I against West Indies and has been ruled out of the Sri Lanka series. This could give Avesh Khan another chance on the international stage.
He did not have an entirely memorable debut when he played against West Indies in the recently concluded series. He conceded 42 runs in four overs. But the Sri Lanka series could give him another opportunity to stake a claim as the pacer in the side.
He made his debut after being impressive in IPL 2021 where he picked up 24 wickets in 16 games. Rohit could give him an extended run in this series and it will be an opportunity for him to establish himself.
"I am feeling very good. I enjoyed the moment, the entire match and we won the match as well. I will try to serve the Indian team as much as possible,” Avesh said at the end of the match.
Congratulations to Avesh Khan who is all set to make his T20I debut for India.
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1.) Ravi Bishnoi
The young leg-spinner made his debut against West Indies earlier this month and was superb in all three matches. With his fast googlies, he managed to contain the power-hitters of West Indies. In three matches, Bishnoi picked up three wickets at an economy rate of 6.33.
However, his proper test will be against Sri Lanka, who are familiar with the subcontinent conditions. Sri Lanka have batters who can read him better. How he responds to this challenge could well determine if he is picked for the T20 World Cup.