Is Shubman Gill playing today's IND vs SL 3rd T20I?
Team India opener Shubman Gill returns for the final T20I of the three-match series against Sri Lanka in Pallekele on July 30. The 24-year-old missed India's series-clinching win in the second T20I due to a neck spasm after featuring in the opener.
However, even with the series decided, Gill has returned to the playing XI with India resting four regulars in this dead rubber.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav confirmed the players resting at the toss by saying:
"We have 4 guys resting - Hardik, Axar, Rishabh and Arshdeep. We spoke about the brand of cricket we want to play and it's about topping it up every game and being the best version of ourselves."
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to chase in a match with a one-hour delayed start due to rain.
Gill was one of the traveling reserves in India's 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad and was named the white-ball captain following the recent Zimbabwe series. He led the side to a 4-1 T20I series win in Zimbabwe.
India's Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, and Khaleel Ahmed.
Shubman Gill played a crucial knock in the series opener
Shumban Gill enjoyed his ascendence to white-ball vice-captaincy with a sparkling knock in the first T20I at Pallekele on July 27. After being asked to bat first by the home captain Charith Asalanka, Gill and Yasahasvi Jaiswal got India off to a blistering start.
The duo added 74 runs inside the powerplay before Gill fell in the final ball of the sixth over. However, the 24-year-old did sufficient damage before his dismissal, scoring a quickfire 34 off 16 deliveries.
His display included six boundaries and a maximum, helping India with a terrific platform to kick on. That they did when skipper Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with a 26-ball 58 and Rishabh Pant played second fiddle with 49 off 33.
The Men in Blue finished on a massive 213/7 in their 20 overs and successfully defended the total by 43 runs. There was a minor scare when the Lankans raced to 140/1 in 14 overs but lost their final nine wickets for only 30 runs to fall 0-1 behind in the best-of-three series.