"Sri Lanka are not such an ordinary team" - Aakash Chopra warns India against taking Dasun Shanaka and Co. lightly
Aakash Chopra has warned Team India against taking Sri Lanka lightly, highlighting Dasun Shanaka and Co. are a decent outfit.
The Men in Blue will face the Lankan Lions in a three-match T20I series, with the first game to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3. The other two T20Is will be played in Pune and Rajkot with a day's break between each of the games.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that Sri Lanka might not have a great overall record against India but stunned Rohit Sharma and Co. at the Asia Cup, observing:
"Sri Lanka are not such an ordinary team. It seems they are ordinary because if you see the previous encounters, they have lost a lot to us, but have won important games. They defeated us in the Asia Cup recently and became the Asia Cup champions."
The former Indian opener feels Sri Lanka's players will benefit from their recent outings in the Lanka Premier League (LPL), saying:
"Don't take Sri Lanka lightly. Some players have come after doing extremely well in the Lanka Premier League. They have game time and have come with form. Avishka Fernando is in very good form, he is coming after scoring the most runs in the LPL."
Chopra highlighted that Sri Lanka have a formidable batting lineup, elaborating:
"You have Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis - so you have three good top-order batters. Towards the end of the LPL, Charith Asalanka also performed well. Bhanuka Rajapaksa doesn't play big knocks but is effective. Dasun Shanaka plays well against India. Dhananjaya de Silva did not have a good LPL but he is a two-dimensional player."
Only batter with 90+ batting average and 180+ batting strike rate vs India in a calendar year (min 3 innings)
Dasun Shanaka vs India in 2022:
4 Innings
157 Runs
157 batting average
193.82 batting strike rate
▫️ Only batter with 90+ batting average and 180+ batting strike rate vs India in a calendar year (min 3 innings)
#INDvsSL https://t.co/5OTFepgnAx
Avishka Fernando, with 339 runs, was the top run-getter in the recently concluded LPL. His half-century in the final helped the Jaffna Kings win the tournament and earned him the Player of the Match award.
"Kasun Rajitha and Nuwan Thushara are bowling very well" - Aakash Chopra
Chopra pointed out that the visitors have a potent bowling lineup as well, stating:
"In bowling, Kasun Rajitha and Nuwan Thushara are bowling very well. Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana - this team is not bad. If you do man-to-man marking, they are not such an ordinary team that you will say you will beat them easily."
The reputed commentator added that Sri Lanka could pose a bigger challenge if they get to bowl first, explaining:
"If they get to bowl first, I will say you need to be wary of Kasun Rajitha and Nuwan Thushara. You have to survive against Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana bowls well. Four good bowlers - that makes it 16 overs. Then Dasun Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne can complete the overs."
Chopra concluded by saying that he expects a closely fought series between the two neighbors. He added that he won't be surprised if it is not a 3-0 series.