India vs Sri Lanka, 4th T20I, Nidahas Trophy 2018: Statistical preview of the match
After suffering a loss in the first match of the Nidahas Trophy to the hosts Sri Lanka, the Indian cricket team bounced back to comfortably defeat Bangladesh in the 2nd match of the tournament.
The bowlers, who did not find their mark in the first match, performed a lot better against Bangladesh. The batsmen completed the chase comfortably, with Shikhar Dhawan's half-century guiding India home. Manish Pandey and Suresh Raina chipped in with worthy contributions as well, thus helping India achieve the target of 139 set by Bangladesh.
The Men in Blue, led by Rohit Sharma, are currently second on the table, with Sri Lanka on top, despite losing a nail-biting match to Bangladesh just a couple of days ago. The Tigers chased down 215, thus breaking the record of the highest run chase ever achieved in a T20I by an Asian side.
The tournament is wide open now, with all three teams in contention to reach the final. However, if India win their second match against Sri Lanka, they should have one step into the final.
As far as the venue is concerned, India has claimed victory in seven of their nine outings at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have a dismal record at their home ground in Colombo, winning just three out of the sixteen matches they have played.
Shikhar Dhawan has been in ominous form over the past year or so. He has left his inconsistencies behind him and delivered in almost every match. He has scored 288 runs across his five T20I innings so far in 2018 and comes into this match having registered back-to-back half-centuries; including his highest ever score in this international format when he last faced Sri Lanka last time.
Manish Pandey has been quite consistent with the bat as well. As we can see, the list is dominated by Indian batsmen. The only Sri Lankan who features on the list is Kusal Perera, who has been one of the best batsmen in the tournament so far. He has scored two quick-fire half-centuries in the first two matches and will look to continue his good run of form.
Jaydev Unadkat has become an integral part of India's bowling line-up over the past year or so. He has the ability to take wickets at regular intervals despite leaking a lot of runs.
Washington Sundar has made a mark for himself with some impressive bowling in the first two matches. He conceded less than 30 runs in both matches, and picked up two wickets in the first game against Sri Lanka as well.
The fourth T20I of the tournament between India and Sri Lanka will take place in Colombo once again. The hosts, who ended a run of seven defeats against India, will look to upset them once again. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma's men will look to avenge their loss and come out victorious this time around.
All the above statistics are courtesy of Opta