Tophan Sahoo   Blogger Website Owner
India and Sri Lanka enter the upcoming Twenty20 series in vastly different form following tours of Australia and New Zealand respectively.
The Sri Lankans travel to India for a three-game T20 series starting on Tuesday after two defeats at the hands of the Kiwis.
New Zealand beat the tourists by three runs and then nine wickets and while the former game proved an even contest, the latter was anything but as the hosts needed just 10 overs to match Sri Lanka's under-par total of 142.
India, on the other hand, spent the end of January dismantling Australia over three T20 matches.
Away from home, the Indians completed a clean sweep of the Aussies winning the series 3-0 with 37-run, 27-run and seven-wicket victories.
Star batsman Virat Kohli has been rested for the series after pummelling 199 runs past the hosts.
Rohit Sharma remains in the side after knocking 143 runs over the three T20 games in Australia.
Kohli is joined by Rishi Dhawan, Gurkeerat Singh Mann and Umesh Yadav in missing out on the home series, after the former two were called out to Australia as injury cover.
Into the side comes left-arm spinner Pawan Negi, who is poised for his international debut.
Negi has proven himself a useful bowler in T20 cricket, with an overall record of 46 wickets from 56 games, with an economy rate of 7.42 and 479 runs with the bat.
The Sri Lankans will have to make do without Tillakaratne Dilshan, who has suffered a hand injury, and been replaced by wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella.
Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews are the other injury concerns for the tourists, with both set to miss all three T20 matches.
Feb 9th 2016 04:45