SL vs IND, 1st T20I: Aakash Chopra predicts India Playing XI

After the culmination of the three-match ODI series between Sri Lanka and India, which the visitors won by the margin of 1-2, the focus now shifts towards the T20I series between the two Asian nations to be played on 25th, 27th and 29th of July at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo.

With ICC T20 World Cup scheduled to take place later this year, both teams would be looking to ensure that their plans are in order as the T20I series is the last scheduled international series for both nations before the marquee tournament.

Aakash Chopra predicts Indian XI for the first T20I 

Team India will take Sri Lanka in the first T20I today at Colombo. The Shikhar Dhawan-led side made as many as six changes in the final and the third ODI, which hosts won by 3 wickets.

With only a few hours remaining for the start of the first T20I, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has predicted the Indian XI for the first game against Sri Lanka.

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Chopra’s top order consisted of skipper Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal. Suryakumar Yadav along with Sanju Samson will bat at No.4 and No.5 respectively while the Pandya brothers will handle the all-rounder’s department. The duo of Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar along with Yuzvendra Chahal and Varun Chakravarthy formed his pace and spin bowling department respectively.

Here’s Aakash Chopra’s Indian playing XI for first T20I

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakravarthy.

SL v IND: What Shikhar Dhawan said ahead of the T20I series?

Addressing the press conference ahead of the T20I series, Indian skipper Shikhar Dhawan said that Team India will pick their best possible XI, with experimentation taking a back seat as long as the series isn’t secured

“We have to win the series. In the last ODI, there was a good opportunity to give some youngsters a chance and give them a taste of international cricket because we had already won the series. Now it’s a new series, so we will of course go in with our best XI first. We will try to win the first two matches, and then according to the situation, we can experiment in the last game if needed” Shikhar Dhawan said.