"It’s always tough against India in India" - Dasun Shanaka ahead of T20I series 

Sri Lanka's white-ball captain Dasun Shanaka has opened up about his side's prospects in the upcoming three-match series against India. The Lankans were humbled to a 3-0 whitewash during their last visit to the neighboring nation but secured a win during their most recent encounter during the Super 4 stage of the 2022 Asia Cup.

The Dasun Shanaka-led side's most recent T20I outing came at the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.

The Lankan Lions scraped through the preliminary stage despite losing to Namibia to qualify for the Super 12 stage. Against the heavyweights, however, they could only finish fourth with three defeats to their name.

Admitting that playing against India on their home turf is as difficult a proposition as any, the Sri Lanka skipper told the media on the eve of the first T20I in Mumbai:

“The first game is really important. India have totally changed their lineup. We also got some experience in our camp. We are looking forward to the first game, we must do well in the first game which sets the tone for the other games."

Shanaka continued:

"We didn’t have a good World Cup, so we would look to step up and do well in this series. Many of our superstars didn’t do well in Australia. But when it comes to Asia, we know the conditions and pitches well. It’s important to start well.

"India is always a better side, what we need to do is to play good cricket against India. It’s always tough against India in India. But we have a good team, looking forward to a good series."

Sri Lanka have named a full-strength squad for the white-ball tour, which oddly also features Chamika Karunaratne. The all-rounder incurred a one-year ban after breaching the player's contract during the T20 World Cup 2022.

However, there has been no official statement by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) pertaining to any potential rescinding of the punishment.

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"Playing against India will be good preparation for the World Cup" - Dasun Shanaka

Teams touring India over the course of the next few months will keep a keen eye on adapting themselves and trying their best to acclimatize to the conditions, keeping the 2023 ODI World Cup in mind.

The 13th edition of the competition is scheduled to be hosted solely by India in the October-November window.

Noting that the upcoming tour is crucial since the majority of the players are yet to play in India, Shanaka said:

"With the World Cup scheduled in India this year, the T20 and ODI series are very important because most of the guys in the side have not played in India."

Shanaka concluded:

"Definitely, this will give us exposure in a lot of grounds and conditions and playing against India will be good preparation for the World Cup.”

The first T20I between India and Sri Lanka will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3. Hardik Pandya is set to lead the Men in Blue for the first time on home soil in the absence of Rohit Sharma.

Will Sri Lanka be able to muster up a strong set of performances to unsettle Team India's initial leg of the home season? Let us know what you think.

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