"You can't win the Asia Cup if you don't have the talent" - Gautam Gambhir says India cannot take Sri Lanka lightly

Gautam Gambhir has highlighted that Sri Lanka are a formidable T20I side and warned India against taking them lightly in the upcoming series.

The Men in Blue will face the Lions in a three-match T20I series, with the first game to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3. The two sides will then lock horns in as many ODIs, with the first match to be played a week later.

During an interaction on the Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues', Gambhir was asked about his thoughts on the threat posed by Sri Lanka in the upcoming series, to which he replied:

"Sri Lanka are a formidable side in T20 cricket, that's what they have shown in the Asia Cup. You can't win the Asia Cup if you don't have the talent. They have got individual brilliance."

Gambhir highlighted that the visitors have two potent spinners in the form of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. The former Indian opener said:

"They have got the combination. They have got two world-class spinners. How many teams have two world-class spinners in Hasaranga and Theekshana, and they can bowl in different situations as well."

Hasaranga picked up 34 wickets in the 19 T20Is he played last year and has snared 10 wickets in the seven games he has played against India. Theekshana accounted for 22 dismissals in as many T20Is in 2022 and picked up a solitary wicket in the only game he has played against the Men in Blue.

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"These guys can be destructive" - Gautam Gambhir on Sri Lanka's batting

Kusal Mendis scored a half-century in the Asia Cup game against India.

Gambhir added that the visitors have destructive batters in the form of Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, elaborating:

"Not at any stage, India can take them lightly. They have got people like Kusal Mendis, Asalanka and Rajapaksa. These guys can be destructive, especially in the T20 format. The challenge for Sri Lanka will be the 50-over format. T20 - I think they are a very good side and probably it's fifty-fifty."

The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by observing that Dasun Shanaka's side have a decent seam attack as well, stating:

"They have got Dilshan Madushanka as well. We haven't seen a lot of him but he has got all the talent - whatever little we saw in the Asia Cup, he can bowl 140 and swing the ball back in. He has got a good slower one. Lahiru Kumara has got pace. So they have got all the ingredients to be a very good T20 side."

Dilshan Madushanka snared three wickets in the Asia Cup clash between the two sides. He castled Virat Kohli for a duck and got rid of Deepak Hooda and Rishabh Pant in the 19th over of the Indian innings.