India and Sri Lanka, on Saturday, will face off for the final time this series in the third T20, in what has truly been an enthralling series.
India won the 1st T20I by two runs and then Sri Lanka bounced back by winning the 2nd game by 16 runs. If the first two games are anything to go by, one can expect another thriller at Rajkot.
Before we deep dive into the action, here's everything you need to know about the venue of the match - Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium.
Pitch Report
The average 1st innings total at SCA stadium is 179, which drops down to 149 in the 2nd innings. Rajkot has traditionally been a pitch that has had some help for the spinners.
All in all, it is a batting paradise and the fast bowlers tend to depend on a lot of slower deliveries to fox batters. One can expect another high-scoring encounter if the pitch is hard and provides minimal help to the spinners.
Will Toss Matter?
A total of 4 matches have been played at this venue and the honours have been shared between the team's batting first and the team's chasing. Since the series is on the line, the skippers would want to bowl first and have a definitive target in mind.
Basic Stats
- Total matches: 4
- Matches won batting first: 2
- Matches won bowling first: 2
Average Stats
- Average 1st Inns scores: 179
- Average 2nd Inns scores: 149
Score Stats
- The Highest total recorded: 202/4 (19.4 Ov) by IND vs AUS
- The Lowest total recorded: 87/10 (16.5 Ov) by RSA vs IND
- The highest score chased: 202/4 (19.4 Ov) by IND vs AUS
- The lowest score defended: 196/2 (20 Ov) by NZ vs IND
India's T20I squad:
Hardik Pandya (Captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (VC), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar
Sri Lanka's limited-overs squad for India (both T20I and ODI):
Dasun Shanaka (Captain), Kusal Mendis (Vice-captain for ODIs), Wanindu Hasaranga (Vice-captain for T20Is), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (only for T20Is), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay (only for ODIs), Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha, Nuwanidu Fernando (only for ODIs), Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara (only for T20Is)
