Last Updated on 3 months by Charbel Coorey

SL vs IND 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SL vs IND 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Sri Lanka vs India 1st T20I Key Players | Colombo Pitch Report

After Sri Lanka picked up crucial, confidence-boosting ODI Super League points in the third ODI, attention turns to a T20I series that has significance for both the home side and India.

Like in ODIs, Sri Lanka have also had a tough time of things in T20Is, winning just one of their last 13 matches. They barely put up a fight in England, and with a potentially tricky T20 World Cup Qualifier Stage coming up against Ireland, Netherlands and Namibia, the Lions will be aiming to find form and confidence against a side filled with T20 and IPL experience.

For India, they are coming off a 2-1 ODI series win, but the batting in the last two matches is cause for improvement. How they tackle Sri Lanka’s spin threat will be key to this result, providing the Indian batsmen with great preparation ahead of the World Cup. Indeed, with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant to come into this side, it is an audition for a number of batsmen to put their hand up and be counted.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Sri Lanka:

• Avishka Fernando scored the most runs of any player in the ODI series. His 159 runs included two half-centuries, so he will be looking to transfer that form to the T20Is. In Sri Lanka’s domestic competition earlier this year, Fernando scored 87 runs in three matches at an average of 27.67 and strike rate of 136.07.
• Dhananjaya de Silva has the most T20I runs of any current Sri Lanka player on this ground (5 inns, 155 runs, avg. 31.00, SR 109.15, 1 50). He has a half-century against India in his two innings against them (total of 74 runs, avg. 37, SR 151.02).
• Charith Asalanka is a strong chance of making his T20I debut. He showed resistance right throughout the ODI series (38, 65, 24), and Sri Lanka will be hoping for more of the same. However, Asalanka is traditionally a better List A player (1,664 runs, avg. 41.60, SR 79.57) than T20 (479 runs, avg. 23.95, SR 127.39), so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts here.
• Wanindu Hasaranga missed the third ODI but is expected to be fit for this clash. He was outstanding in the T20I series in West Indies earlier this year (eight wickets in three T20Is) on pitches that offered assistance to spinners. Key player.
• Dasun Shanaka has a bowling strike rate of just 13 against India (six wickets).
• Akila Dananjaya has plenty of experience on this ground. In 17 T20s, he has taken 20 wickets at an economy rate of just 7.42. After his three wickets in the third ODI, he will be one to watch here.

India:

• Shikhar Dhawan has been simply outstanding in IPL since the start of 2019 (1,541 runs in 41 innings). However, in T20Is, he has 363 runs in 14 matches at an average of 25.92 and strike rate of 117.47 in the same period. He will be using this series as a way to remind selectors that he belongs in India’s main T20I side.
• Dhawan has a solid T20I record vs Sri Lanka. He has three half-centuries in eight innings vs the Lions (289 runs, avg. 41.28, SR 136.96).
• Prithvi Shaw is all set to make his T20I debut. If he gets going, watch out. In partnership with Dhawan at the Delhi Capitals, Shaw was enjoying a fine IPL 2021 campaign (8 inns, 308 runs, avg. 38.50, SR 166.48).
• Ishan Kishan was Mumbai Indians’ highest run-scorer in the title-winning season of 2020 (516 runs, avg. 57.33, SR 145.76). His partner in crime, Suryakumar Yadav, will also be key here as he has brilliant in IPL since the start of 2020 (653 runs, avg. 34.37, SR 144.79).
• Yuzvendra Chahal has enjoyed success against Sri Lanka in T20Is. He has taken 14 wickets in six matches against them (avg. 15.85, SR 9.8). Kuldeep Yadav has 10 wickets in six T20Is vs Sri Lanka (avg. 15.40, SR 12).
• Deepak Chahar scored a superb 69* in his last outing (second ODI). He is a powerplay specialist with the ball, so his role will be key here.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 19, Sri Lanka 5, India 13, N/R 1.
• Sri Lanka last won a bilaterial T20I series vs Pakistan in 2019. They have lost five in a row since.
• Out of players in the Sri Lanka squad, only Dasun Shanaka and Isuru Udana have played more than 100 T20 games.

Possible Playing 11

According to reports, Wanindu Hasaranga is expected to be fit for this clash. Also, the likes of Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Charith Asalanka impressed in the ODIs, and could be rewarded with a place in the T20I side.

In terms of the bowling, Sri Lanka will have a decision to make regarding their pace-spin combination. Isuru Udana has struggled in recent times, but could be brought in given his experience in the format. Akila Dananjaya looked threatening with his ability to turn the ball both ways, and could make an important part of Sri Lanka’s attack here.

Sri Lanka: 1. Avishka Fernando, 2. Minod Bhanuka (wk), 3. Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 4. Dhananjaya de Silva, 5. Charith Asalanka, 6. Dasun Shanaka (c), 7. Wanindu Hasaranga, 8. Chamika Karunaratne, 9. Isuru Udana/Praveen Jayawickrama, 10. Dushmantha Chameera, 11. Akila Dananjaya

On the eve of the match, Shikhar Dhawan said that India will play their best T20I team. This suggests that they could wait before handing multiple debuts.

India: 1. Shikhar Dhawan (c), 2. Prithvi Shaw, 3. Ishan Kishan (wk), 4. Manish Pandey, 5. Suryakumar Yadav, 6. Hardik Pandya, 7. Krunal Pandya, 8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9. Deepak Chahar, 10. Rahul Chahar/Kuldeep Yadav, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

R Premadasa Stadium Colombo Pitch Report

Conditions assisted spinners in the ODIs, and more of the same is expected here. However, the chasing team has won 8 of the last 10 T20Is on this ground, with the average first innings score 163.5.

Some showers are forecast in Colombo.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

Option 2:

Match Prediction

Sri Lanka would have taken confidence from their performance in the last two ODIs. However, India, with their great T20 experience, should win this clash.