India set to test fringe players in T20I series against Sri Lanka

With the number of claimants increasing heading into the Men’s T20 World Cup later this year, India is set to continue with its experimentation in the three-match series against Sri Lanka that begins here on Thursday.

But, the Rohit Sharma-led India team, which is coming off a 3-0 whitewash against the West Indies, would look to maintain the same intensity. While India will eye another T20I series triumph, it will look to give game time to as many players as possible in the lead-up to the World Cup, which is scheduled in Australia in October-November.

In the absence of established players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, batters such as Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson could get opportunities. Shreyas Iyer, who played just a solitary match in the home T20I series against West Indies, will have time to settle down in the middle-order.

Venkatesh Iyer impressed in the end overs in the previous assignment and would be keen to continue in the same vein with the bat. Now that Suryakumar Yadav has been ruled out of the series along with Deepak Chahar, Venkatesh will have added responsibility in the final five overs. While the in-form Suryakumar has been ruled out with a hairline fracture, Deepak will miss out due to a right quadriceps injury.

Having unleashed his bag of tricks against West Indies, young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi would hope to march ahead with the same momentum. Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja are back in the team to bolster the bowling attack, which also comprises Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Siraj among others.

After losing 1-4 to Australia Down Under, the touring Sri Lanka side would be eager to come up with improved performances. The Dasun Shanaka-led Sri Lanka will have to get its act together in the batting department to trouble India.

The bowling pack will have to make do with the absence of leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who has been ruled out of the series after failing to recover from COVID-19.

INDIA: Rohit Sharma (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah (vc) and Avesh Khan

SRI LANKA: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka (vc), Dinesh Chandimal, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kamil Mishara, Janith Liyanage, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Binura Fernando, Shiran Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama and Ashian Daniel