India triumphed over Sri Lanka by 43 runs in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, July 27. Sent in to bat by the Lankans, the Men in Blue posted a formidable 213-7 and then bowled out the hosts for 170 in 19.2 overs.
The visitors began strongly with Yashasvi Jaiswal (40 off 21) and Shubman Gill (34 off 16) adding a brisk 74 in the first six overs. After the openers fell in quick succession, skipper Suryakumar Yadav took charge, blasting 58 off 26 balls. Rishabh Pant started slowly but finished with an impactful 49 off 33 balls.
Sri Lanka’s chase started brightly with Pathum Nissanka (79 off 48) and Kusal Mendis (45 off 27) putting on 84 runs in 8.4 overs. At one stage, the hosts were cruising at 140-1 after 14 overs, but they collapsed dramatically, losing nine wickets for 30 runs.
For India, Riyan Parag picked up three wickets, while Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh claimed two each.
India and Sri Lanka Meet Again on Sunday, July 28
There will be no rest for the two teams as they clash again on Sunday, July 28, in the second T20I. This match will also be held at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and will begin at 7:00 PM IST, with the toss scheduled for 6:30 PM.
In India, the live telecast of the India vs Sri Lanka second T20I will be available on Sony Sports network channels. Fans can catch the action on Sports Ten 1 (English), Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil and Telugu), and Sony Sports Ten 5 (English). The match will also be streamed live on the Sony Liv app and website.
The third T20I of the India vs Sri Lanka series will also be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, July 30. Following the T20I series, a three-match ODI series will take place at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on August 2, August 4, and August 7. Rohit Sharma will return to lead the Indian team in the ODI series.
