The second match of the three T20 series being played between India and Sri Lanka will be played in Pune on Thursday. The India team has taken a 1-0 series lead by winning the first match of T20. The India team now has a chance to achieve an unbeatable lead in the series by winning the second T20 match. However, Sanju Samson’s injury forced Team India to make changes to the starting XI despite the win.
Shivam Mavi, who made his international cricket debut through the opener, has become a topic of discussion everywhere. Mavi took four wickets for 22 runs. In the second match as well, all eyes will be on Mavi. The India team will not make any changes to their bowling attack. However, if Arshdeep Singh gets fit, he may be given a chance instead of Harshal Patel.
Apart from Mavi, Shubman Gill also made his debut in the first match of T20. Gill was only able to manage seven runs and left India and Hardik Pandya to solve the opening puzzle once more. Pandya is hoping to give Gill another chance in the second T20 match to be held at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here.
India will be hoping for a better performance from their top order as Gill, Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson did not fare well at Wankhede. Trying to score fast runs against Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers went awry. His shot selection was not up to par and the team management would expect better efforts from him in Pune as he would help India take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Instead of Sanju Samson, the India team can give Rahul Tripathi a chance to debut.
However, in the lower order, India got relief. Deepak Hooda and Akshar Patel led the team to a respectable score with brilliant efforts.
Led by the Pandya skipper, the Indian bowling unit executed their plans and restricted Sri Lanka to 160 runs in 20 overs. Although the match was very close at the end, both teams will have a chance to right their wrongs in Pune. Sri Lanka needed 13 runs in the last six balls of the match, India could have lost on the last ball. Although Akshar Patel took over India.
Indian Team: Hardik Pandya (captain), Ishan Kishan (goalkeeper), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Akshar Patel, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi.
