3 reasons why Sri Lanka can surprise India in the upcoming series

Familiar foes will lock horns once again when India and Sri Lanka face off in three ODIs and three T20Is in July.

Most of India's all-format regulars will be in England for a five-match Test series and the World Test Championship final against New Zealand. But with the guidance of senior players like Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya, the Men in Blue might enter the series as the favorites.

However, Sri Lanka can't be counted out. Here are three reasons why they could surprise India in the upcoming series.

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#3 India will not be anywhere near full strength

Shikhar Dhawan

India's squad for England tour: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness), Wriddhiman Saha (subject to fitness), Abhimanyu Easwaran (reserve), Prasidh Krishna (reserve), Avesh Khan (reserve), Arzan Nagwaswalla (reserve)

These are the names who won't be available for selection during the Sri Lanka series. Moreover, Shreyas Iyer might not recover in time from the surgery he recently underwent for a partially dislocated shoulder.

Among the Indian squad expected to tour Sri Lanka, only Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya will have played more than 150 international games. The rest of the batting lineup and bowling attack will be almost completely new to international cricket, even if they've got some exposure through the Indian Premier League.

Against an inexperienced side which hasn't played together often, Sri Lanka could easily capitalize and come away with a few wins.

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#2 Sri Lanka don't have much to lose under new leadership

Sri Lanka and new ODI captain Kusal Perera

Dasun Shanaka was appointed Sri Lanka's T20I captain earlier this year, before visa restrictions caused Angelo Mathews to take over for a series against the West Indies. In other news, Kusal Perera took over from Dimuth Karunaratne as the ODI captain.

Under new leadership in both formats, Sri Lanka will look to play a fearless brand of cricket that heralds a new generation of cricket in the country. Perera has been open about asking his teammates to play with freedom, and the lack of pressure on the team while up against a strong opposition could work in their favor.

Sri Lanka have their backs against the wall and don't have much to lose. They could put in an inspired performance against India, with both their young players and their stalwarts having points to prove.

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#1 Sri Lanka will have a lot of match practice before the India series

Sri Lanka Cricket

For the Indian players taking part in the Sri Lanka series, the tour will be their first taste of competitive cricket since the 2021 IPL. But the hosts will enter the assignment on the back of a string of fixtures against quality international opposition.

Sri Lanka have already played series against South Africa, West Indies and England this year. They are currently locked in battle in an ODI series against Bangladesh, after which they will fly to England for three ODIs and three T20Is.

Sri Lanka will get a significant number of matches to try out new players, formulate bowling plans, come up with an effective batting strategy and gel together as a unit. With many of their players entering the international fray only now, the Islanders' upcoming fixtures will be like gold dust ahead of the India series.

It remains to be seen how quarantine restrictions work for Sri Lanka's England tour. But if those turn out fine, the 2011 World Cup runners-up could give India a run for their money.