Team India will begin their three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka with the first T20 match at the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy on Saturday (July 27). The World T20 champions will be playing under a new captain – Suryakumar Yadav – and a new head coach in Gautam Gambhir.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are also led by a new captain with all-rounder Charith Asalanka leading the side. The home side has already suffered a big blow with pace Nuwan Thushara, who turned out for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season missing out due to injury and replaced by left-arm pacer Dilshan Madhushanka.
Asalanka becomes the 8th Sri Lanka T20I skipper in recent years after the likes of Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Upul Tharanga, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Meanwhile, new Indian T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav was keen to rekindle the relationship with former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Gautam Gambhir. “This relationship (with Gambhir) is very special because when I went in IPL 2014, I played under him for KKR. It was special because I got the opportunity to play for that franchise. My relationship is still strong with him. But he knows how I work, what my mindset is when I come to practice with him, and how he tries to work. as a coach it is all about that lovely relationship we have and very excited to see how it goes forward,” Suryakumar said in a video posted by the BCCI.
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— BCCI (@BCCI) July 26, 2024
Venue: Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Date & Time: July 26, 7pm IST onwards
Live Streaming and TV details: Sony Sports Network and Sonyliv website and app
Wicketkeeper: Rishabh Pant, Kusal Mendis
Batters: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka
Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Matheesha Pathirana
Captain: Hardik Pandya
Vice-captain: Wanindu Hasaranga
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar/Riyan Parag, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj/Khaleel Ahmed
Sri Lanka: Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Janith Perera (wk), Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dinesh Chandimal, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Matheesha Pathirana
