SRI LANKA VS. INDIA: IND’S TOUR OF SL 2021, 2nd T20 | MATCH PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
Hosts Sri Lanka take on India in the second T20 of the 3-match series at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday evening.
Sri Lanka slumped to a defeat in the first T20 after a poor batting performance. They suffered a 38-run loss after being bowled out for just 126 runs. Apart from Charith Asalanka, no one else crossed the 30-run mark and offered any sort of resistance to the Indian bowlers as wickets fell at regular intervals. All-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga and pacer Dushmantha Chameera were the key for the hosts with the ball, taking 2 wickets each. Dhananjaya Lakshan may come in place of Asalanka, who is doubtful to play due to a hamstring issue.
The young guns of India continued to impress as the visitors got off to the perfect start in the T20I series. Being asked to bat first, Suryakumar Yadav struck a half century, supported by his captain Shikhar Dhawan, as India reached a competitive total of 164 runs. A wonderful team performance with the ball saw all six bowlers pick up at least 1 wicket each, with fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar shining in particular. If Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav are unavailable for this match, expect a few changes in the team and the batting order.
With India looking forward to continuing their winning momentum and seal the series here, Sri Lanka will need to produce something special to level the series at the Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday.
Match Details
- Match: Sri Lanka vs. India, 2nd T20
- Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
- Date & Time: Jul. 28, 2021, at 8 PM IST/Local
Probable Playing XI
Sri Lanka
Avishka Fernando, Minod Bhanuka (WK), Dhananjaya de Silva, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Ashen Bandara, Dasun Shanaka (C), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Isuru Udana, Dushmantha Chameera, Akila Dananjaya
India
Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan (C), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krishnappa Gowtham, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakravarthy, Yuzvendra Chahal
Weather and Pitch Report
Colombo is expected to have cloudy weather with no rain interruptions during the match. The temperature will be around 27 degrees during the game.
Premadasa has generally been a good cricket wicket, with the possibility of a competitive game on the cards. Batters are likely to dominate, despite some early help on offer for the bowlers from the surface. The pitch will slow down as the match progresses, bringing the spinners into play in the second innings. The average first-innings score at this venue in the last five T20 matches played has been 155 runs.
With a good chasing record in the last 10 matches and dew playing a part in the second innings, expect either captain to opt to chase upon winning the toss. A score of around 170 runs should be a competitive one here.
Top Fantasy Picks
Sri Lanka
- Avishka Fernando will be disappointed on being dismissed after providing a solid start to his team's innings in the first T20. He scored 26 runs from 23 balls, including 3 fours. He was the top scorer in the ODI series, with 159 runs, and will look to score big again here.
- Chamika Karunaratne is still very young at the international level, having played a total of nine games. He had a good debut game in the first T20I, taking the crucial wicket of Dhawan at an important time. He can be handy with the bat too, making a couple of 40s in the ODI series.
- Dushmantha Chameera is back to his normal self after a rocky start to this tour. He has taken 4 wickets in the last two games after failing to take any wicket in the first two ODIs. He dismissed the in-form Prithvi Shaw with the very first ball of the last match and got rid of Hardik Pandya later.
India
- Shikhar Dhawan has been very consistent in the shortest format in recent months. With the T20 World Cup just a few months away, he will look to seal the opener’s role in this series. He scored 46 runs from 36 balls in the first T20, including 4 boundaries and 1 six.
- Ishan Kishan's natural instinct is to play attacking cricket. Coming down the order, he scored 20* runs from 14 balls in the first T20, including 1 four and 1 six. He has made 80 runs in three innings, including a half century in his debut match.
- Varun Chakravarthy made his India debut after a long time due to injuries. He was economical in the first T20, picking up the important wicket of skipper Dasun Shanka in the process. With the opening match out of the way, expect him to show his full range of variations here.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeeper: I Kishan
- Batsmen: A Fernando, S Dhawan, S Yadav
- All-rounders: D de Silva, C Karunaratne, H Pandya
- Bowlers: V Chakravarthy, D Chahar, Y Chahal, D Chameera
- Captain: I Kishan/V Chakravarthy
- Vice Captain: D de Silva/D Chameera
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can make your fantasy 11 and play fantasy cricket matches. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
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