India take on Sri Lanka in a three-match T20 series starting Saturday, July 27 in Pallekele. The series is as much a rebuild for India in T20Is, as it is for Sri Lanka as both teams will have a new captain in the format. While Suryakumar Yadav has led the side in the past in a couple of series, this will be his first assignment as a full-time captain for India after Rohit Sharma retired following the T20 World Cup win. For Sri Lanka however, the case is different as Wanindu Hasaranga gave up captaincy following his side's disappointing show at the T20 World Cup.
Since there is a two-year period before the next T20 World Cup, all the matches in the format will be an opportunity to test a few players and give a longer run to someone to gauge the bench strength of the side. With a new head coach as well, the series will also be a tease into what the Indian team could look like for the next few years, as far as their playing style and selections are concerned.
Sri Lanka will be missing two of their key pacers in the series but with a few form players from the Lanka Premier League, the 2014 champions will hope to get the best out of these three matches.
When and where to watch SL vs IND T20 series on TV and OTT in India?
The three-match T20I series between India and Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele will kick off on Saturday, July 27 at 7 PM IST with the remaining matches scheduled for July 28 and 30. The matches will be live broadcast on Sony Sports 1, Sony Sports 1 HD, Sony Sports 3, Sony Sports 3 HD, Sony Sports 4, Sony Sports 4 HD, Sony Sports 5 and Sony Sports 5 HD channels while the live streaming of the series will be available on the SonyLiv app and website.
Squads
India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj
Sri Lanka: Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Janith Perera, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Asitha Fernando, Binura Fernando
