IND vs SL: SKY era begins as Sri Lanka invites India to bat first at Pallekele

IND vs SL: After clinching T20 World Cup 2024, India is locking horns with Sri Lanka in the first T20I of the match series. Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka won the toss and invited India to bat first at Pallekele. A totally new look 'Men in Blue' has been assigned to the Sri Lankan assignment. This series holds special significance as India is playing with new captain and coach. Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir will lead India. 

What have skippers said after toss?

After winning the toss, Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka said, "It looks like a pretty good pitch and we want to see how it goes. We are going with 6-5 (batters-bowlers) combination. I want to give every player specific roles and that's why we are going with 5 bowlers. You can expect more wins and more consistency.

Meanwhile, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav said that the pitch looks good and we don't have any issue to bat first. "The brand of cricket remains the same. The relationship me and him (Gambhir) have had for so many years is special. Dube, Samson, Khaleel, and Washington are the four players to miss out. That (World Cup) is history, we start from scratch and it is a new challenge," he said.

IND vs SL: Playing XIs

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka(c), Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.

🚨 Toss and Playing XI 🚨#TeamIndia will bat first against Sri Lanka in the first T20I 🙌

Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/Ccm4ubmoxL#SLvIND pic.twitter.com/sUYeVyzZsE

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 27, 2024

India: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Riyan Parag, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.