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West Indies will play host to Sri Lanka and India as the cricket continues days after the conclusion of the Champions Trophy. The triangular series is a format that makes for exciting clashes and it has been used relatively scarcely in the last few years due to the advent of the T20 format.
India will go to the Caribbean in high spirits after their Champions Trophy triumph. They would be eager to experiment with their squad as few players did not get an opportunity to display their talent in England. On the other hand, the Sri Lankan team is a work in progress. They reached the semifinals in the Champions Trophy, but the team is still taking shape under the leadership of Angelo Matthews. West Indies have named a 13-man squad for the first half of the series and have retained largely the same players who participated in the Champions Trophy.
The tournament will be a competitive event in itself, and the priority will be to claim victory but the teams will also have their eyes set on the larger goal, the 2015 World Cup. India and West Indies have a relatively young line-up of players who can form the nucleus of that vision, whereas Sri Lanka need to assess if the experienced campaigners can continue to play a part in the side or whether new talent needs to step up. Thus, a number of players’ performances will be under heavy scrutiny. On the other hand, there will be some players who have grown in confidence since the Champions Trophy and will take centre-stage to take their side to victory in the tournament.
Here is a list of the top players who will make a difference to the eventual result of the competition:
7. Ajantha Mendis
The mystery spinner is making a return to One-Day International cricket as the Sri Lankan selectors have decided to show a little more trust in him. The bowler was not a part of the Champions Trophy squad and was constantly being sidelined by the tag of being a T20 specialist. Given the success of R Ashwin and Sunil Narine in ODI cricket, Ajantha Mendis’s inclusion in this side might prove to be a good decision.
6. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
The Indian bowler mastered the ability to bowl consistently in good areas in English conditions and was rewarded with regular wickets at the start of the innings in Champions Trophy. The lad from Meerut is slightly-built and does not look fierce as he runs in, but his ability to swing the ball both ways has made him lethal early on in the innings. He has impeccable control on his line-and-length that is evidenced by his economy rate. With 15 wickets in 13 ODIs at a run rate of just over 4.00, the bowler is India’s most promising prospect.
5. Kemar Roach
Kemar Roach had a bitter-sweet Champions Trophy as he gave a match winning performance in the first group game against Pakistan but faded away after that performance. He was put to the sword by the Indian batsmen and will be facing them once again in this tri-series. He will be eager to exact revenge. He has the pace and just needs to develop quick and innovative thinking so as to join the likes of Dale Steyn and James Anderson.
4. Shikhar Dhawan
The left-handed batsman earned the golden bat at the Champions Trophy and was the best performer at the event by a mile. His comeback to the international stage has been a great success but with that come great responsibilities. He will be expected to perform at the same level in the upcoming fixtures, and as he averaged a Bradman-esque figure in the Champions trophy, a few setbacks might be on his way. He will have to adapt to the new conditions and put up some solid opening partnerships with Rohit Sharma.
3. Mahela Jayawardene
The veteran middle-order batsman struck form at the latter end of the Champions Trophy as he helped Sri Lanka to reach the semifinals. His run-scoring form was evidence of the fact that Sri Lanka’s batting still depends largely upon the contributions made by him and Kumar Sangakkara. Dinesh Chandimal and Thirimanne will be a part of the team, but Jayawardene will have to lead the line-up.
2. Chris Gayle
The explosive West Indian has been facing charges that he does not perform at the same level for his country as he does for T20 league teams. Ever since his whirlwindy knock of 175 in the IPL, teams have started targeting his wicket as if the fate of the match depends on it. This not only means that he will have to be on top of his game but also that he needs to give his peers the confidence that he can perform for them.
1. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has been India’s top batsman in the last two years. He has made the transition from India’s World Cup winning U-19 side to the senior side with relative ease. At a young age of 24, he has already amassed nearly 5,000 runs at an average of just below 50. He has played in different territories but has adapted quickly to score a pile of runs. He did not have much to do in the Champions Trophy early on but played crucial knocks in the final and semifinal. He will be expected to score those big hundreds in the tri-series.
