India might be missing some key stars in their squad for the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka, but the Men in Blue beat Sri Lanka in the first match quite easily. After a good display, Rohit Sharma and the team management might think twice before breaking their winning combination in the second T20I at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Friday.
However, there will be players like Rohit, who will be eager to make a mark in the team as he failed in the first match. The likes of KL Rahul, MS Dhoni and Manish Pandey will be eager to shine once again in the second T20I.
The batting order, for sure, is going to be retained, but it remains to be seen if the management decides to make some new changes in the bowling line-up. India did not play Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj and Basil Thampi, all of whom are youngsters in the side. Will any of them get a look in?
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, might go for some changes in the playing XI, which featured in their last match. The islanders need to think about their combination and play more batsmen, especially in this shorter format where runs are important irrespective of whether one bats first or second.
There is a serious need for them to strengthen their batting. They only scored 87 runs in the first T20I, which makes their case even stronger. Sadeera Samarawickrama can replace Dasun Shanaka as they already have two other all-rounders in the form of Angelo Mathews and skipper Thisara Perera.
Doing so will also allow Niroshan Dickwella to bat in the middle order and Samarawickrama can partner Upula Tharanga at the top. However, Sri Lanka may stick with the same bowling combination.
Pitch conditions
Holkar Stadium will host their first ever T20I game on Friday. It could be a high-scoring contest in Indore as the pitch has always been conducive to batsmen. Added to that, the short boundaries, scoring can be easy and the fans may be treated to an amazing batting show.
Predicted playing XI
India: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat
Sri Lanka: Thisara Perera(c), Upul Tharanga, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Asela Gunaratne, Akila Dhananjaya, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Dusmantha Chameera
