After a successful T20I series against West Indies, Team India would look to continue their dominant home-run against Sri Lanka as well. India will face the Lankan lions in a three-match T20I series starting on Thursday.
The first of the three T20Is will be played in Lucknow's Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Sanju Samson, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah have been called back for the series. With Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad slated to open the innings, it looks unlikely that Sanju Samson would get a chance in the playing XI, at least in the first T20I. Having said that, India will play without Suryakumar Yadav, thus Samson might get a chance in the middle-order.
Speaking of Sanju Samson, skipper Rohit Sharma said, "That guy has got talent, man. Whenever we see him bat in IPL, he's just produced an innings where everyone goes over the moon watching that innings. He's got the skillset to succeed."
As we saw in the 3rd ODI, Shreyas Iyer walked in at no. 3 while Rohit Sharma took the no. 4 spot. A new-look India's batting order can be effective.
Ravindra Jadeja maintains the balance in the middle-order as he might be accompanied by another all-rounder, Venkatesh Iyer.
India enters the SL series with two players - Deepak Chahar & Suryakumar Yadav - out due to injury. Yadav suffered a hairline fracture on his hand and has been declared unfit for the SL series.
India's Probable Playing XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Rohit Sharma (C), Sanju Samson, Venkatesh Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah
Sri Lanka Probable Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kamil Mishara (WK), Dinesh Chandimal, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (C), Chamika Karunaratne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara
India vs Sri Lanka T20 Series Schedule
24 February - 1st T20, Lucknow
26 February - 2nd T20, Dharamsala
February 27 - 3rd T20, Dharamsala