India vs Sri Lanka – The Men in Blue are set to face each other at Ekana Sports City Stadium on 24th Feb 2022.
India vs Sri Lanka 2022 1st T20 I Preview
The Men in Blue are set to host Sri Lanka in a three T20I and a two-Test Match series. An early exit in the World Cup followed by a collective failure against the Proteas redefined India’s stature as a dominant figure. However, a dominant display against West Indies is a sight for the sore eyes of the Indian fans.
The tides have started to turn in favour of India with the rise of Iyer and Surya in the middle order. The Achilles heel of India is once again showing signs of life. The grit and determination which was evident during the time of Dravid, Laxman and Dhoni have started to sprout to life once again.
Sri Lanka on the other hand is stuck in a fairytale that is woven by their expectations. A 4-1 defeat on the Australian soil is yet another reality check for The Lions. Sri Lanka got a glimpse of how far they are from making their dreams into reality. Once an Asian Giant now lingers in the shadow of their glory days. The current Sri Lankan team is struggling to live up to the standard which was set by the likes of Sangakara, Jayasuriya, Dilshan and Muralitharan.
In search of their lost status, Sri Lanka is now up against India whose wounds are still fresh from the early exit of the T20I World Cup and the massacre against South Africa. It will be hard for the Lions to adapt on a turf that offers more turn in comparison to the fast swinging track of Melbourne.
Predicted Line-up and Team News for India vs Sri Lanka 2022
The Indian team will miss some of their key players in the T20I format. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant will miss both T20 and Test matches. Indian fans need to wait a moment longer to see Virat featuring in his 100th test match.
India will line-up without Deepak Chahar and Surya Kumar Yadav. Deepak Chahar who remained in the spotlight during the Mega Auction of IPL 2022 has suffered a hamstring injury. While, Surya Kumar Yadav sustained a hairline fracture on his hand. he sustained this injury during West Indies series and he has been deemed unfit for the upcoming series. Surya has not travelled to Lucknow with the rest of the team as the sources suggest.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane could not book their space in the test squad. The series against South Africa was bound to decide their future. The experienced veterans certainly had their moments when India relied on their brilliance. Howbeit a set of mixed results may turn out to be the end of the road of their decorating journey. Their future is currently shrouded in uncertainty. It is going to be hard for them to find their place in test squad once again.
India Squad
T20 – Rohit Sharma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, J. Bumrah (VC), Deepak Chahar, Md. Siraj, Sanju Samson (WK), Y Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Avesh Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Bishnoi, B. Kumar, Harshal Patel and Deepak Hooda.
Test – Rohit Sharma (C), Priyank Panchal, Virat Kohli, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, R Pant, KS Bharat, R Ashwin (fitness), R Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, J Bumrah (VC), Md. Shami, Md. Siraj, Saurabh Kumar, Mayank Aggarwal, Shreyas Iyer and Umesh Yadav.
Sri Lanka Squad
Sri Lanka has announced their squad for the three-match T20I series. For Lions Avishka Fernando, Nuwan Thushara and Ramesh Mendis are ruled out of the series due to the injuries sustained during Australia’s tour.
T20- Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Binura Fernando, Shiran Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dasun Shanaka (C), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka (VC), Dinesh Chandimal, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kamil Mishara, Janith Liyanage and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Head to Head:
In the past five encounters, India has dominated Sri Lanka in the T20I format. With three victories out of the last five matches, India will be keen to further extend its dominance over its neighbouring rivals.
| Host | Visitors | Winner | Date | Margin |
| Sri Lanka | India | Sri Lanka | 7/28/2021 | 4 Wickets |
| Sri Lanka | India | India | 7/25/2021 | 38 Runs |
| India | Sri Lanka | India | 1/10/2020 | 78 Runs |
| India | Sri Lanka | India | 1/7/2020 | 7 Wickets |
| India | Sri Lanka | No Result | 1/5/2020 | NA |
Predicted Line-up for 1st T20I Match
India
1) R. Sharma (C)
2) I. Kishan (WK)
3) S. Iyer
4) S. Samson
5) V. Iyer
6) D. Hooda
7) R. Jadeja
8) H. Patel
9) B. Kumar
10) J. Bumrah
11) Y. Chahal
Sri Lanka
1) P. Nissanka
2) K. Mendis (WK)
3) K. Mishara
4) C. Asalanka
5) D. Shanaka (C)
6) C. Karunaratne
7) D. Chameera
8) W. Hasaranga
9) L. Kumara
10) M. Theekshana
11) J. Liyanage
Win Probability for India vs Sri Lanka 2022:
The hosts are most likely to stand victorious in India vs Sri Lanka at the Ekana Sports City Stadium. Even with the absence of Rishabh Pant and the former skipper Virat Kohli India are likely to taste victory under the new leadership of Rohit Sharma.
Dream Team
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