@REUTERS
India’s first assignment of the year will be a limited-overs T20I series against their neighbours Sri Lankans. This series also marks the return of Jasprit Bumrah who will play his first game since being sidelined due to injury in August last year.
India will be sweating over the return of Dhawan who also makes a comeback after missing the home series versus West Indies. KL Rahul who replaced Dhawan as the opener in the Windies series made a massive impact at the top of the order along with Rohit and almost edged out Dhawan at the top of the order. Now with Rohit being rested, it is an easy choice for the team management to send Rahul and Dhawan to open the innings and this will be the one last trial before they hold on to one final partner to open with Rohit for the upcoming series and the mega event T20WC.
Team India Predicted XI-
Sri Lanka has had a mixed end to the year 2019. They whitewashed the #1 T20I side Pakistan in Pakistan with the second string of players. When all their A grade players returned for the Series against Australia, they lost 3-0. There are lots of questions being asked about Malinga’s captaincy. Their premium T20I bowler Nuwan Pradeep has been ruled out of the series. They have called upon Angelo Mathews who is playing his first T20I game after a gap of 16 months. They are continuously backing the talented Kusal Mendis but he is letting down the team management time and again. Sri Lanka is In a desperate need to start the series well so that they can build on that momentum. They have lots of questions to be answered, but one never knows how a T20I game will pan out.
Sri Lanka Predicted XI-