3 Players To Watch Out For In The Match Between India vs Sri Lanka 3rd T20I

Under the new head coach, Gautam Gambhir, the Indian team won their first T20I series against Sri Lanka in 2 back-to-back games at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele. With this win, Men in Blue are leading the series by 2-0. These 2 Asian teams will be meeting again today for the final match of the series at the same venue. The Island Nations will definitely try to avoid whitewash before heading to the limited-over format. Meanwhile, the Indian team will try to play like a champion, where they have played so far, showing their aggressive intent in the batting department. However, before entering this game, Suryakumar Yadav and Co. could be seen making some changes in the playing XI.

Through this article, we will know, who are the players who can be seen in the playing XI for the last match of the series and play a crucial role for the team. 

1. Sanju Samson

After Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirement from the shorter format of the game. It would not be wrong to say that the Men in Blue lack experience in their squad, where most players have just started their cricketing careers. However, apart from a few experienced batters like Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson, no one has that much experience that can help the Indian team in big matches. Sanju’s cricketing experience in domestic matches and IPL games will definitely help the Indian team in marquee events like T20 World Cup. 

Sanju’s impressive form in the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League matches was also one of the reasons why he has been backed up by the BCCI in T20 World Cup games, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka series. However, due to the winning combination, he did not get a chance to play in the T20 World Cup, but he learnt a lot in the presence of India trio Virat, Rohit and Jadeja.

Sanju Samson needs to prove himself against the selectors by performing well in the upcoming games. So, looking at the last match of the series, the Kerala-born batter can get another chance to prove himself and play a crucial knock for the Indian team.

2. Khaleel Ahmed

Another youngster who can be seen in the final T20I match of the series could be Khaleel Ahmed, who performed brilliantly in the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League from Delhi Capitals by picking 17 wickets in 15 games. It was one of the reasons he has been picked for the T20 World Cup in the travelling reserve. However, his need didn't arise and India won the marquee event by defeating South Africa in the finals.

After the World Cup, he was part of the Indian team who visited Zimbabwe and in the ongoing Sri Lankan series but he didn't get that many chances. As India has already won the series, we can see him being in the playing XI for the final match of the series.

3. Shivam Dube

Shivam Dube was part of the World Cup-winning team that defeated Proteas and ended the title drought of 13 long years of World Cup trophies. In the final game, he played a cameo by scoring quick 27 runs in 16 balls by hitting 3 boundaries and 1 maximum, which later helped the Indian team by defending the target by 7 runs.

Shivam Dube’s brilliant six-hitting ability against spinners has made him one of the batters who can boost the inning during the middle overs by hitting biggies. However, after the Zimbabwe series, he didn’t get a chance in the playing XI. However, his all-round abilities were seen in the last series where he performed well with bat and bowl. In this match, the team management can pick him in the playing XI for the final game.