India vs Sri Lanka 2020: 3 players who could be valuable picks in your fantasy team

Team India will begin the new decade with a three-match T20I series against neighbours Sri Lanka. While India tasted success across continents in 2019, apart from becoming the first Asian side to win a Test series in South Africa, Sri Lanka had very little going for them in Tests and ODIs last year.

The shortest format has yielded mixed results for the Islanders. They beat the no.1 ranked T20 side Pakistan 3-0 at their home turf with a second-string squad. Within three weeks, they lost to Australia with the same scoreline. But Sri Lanka won't be an easy team to beat for Virat Kohli's men.

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The series presents an opportunity for sides to try out players, with the T20 World Cup due to take place later in the year. Injuries have plagued the Indian bowling unit for the past few months. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, and Deepak Chahar are currently under rehabilitation. With few slots up for grabs, players will be eager to perform well to seal their spot in the World Cup squad.

India’s T20 squad against Sri Lanka: Virat Kohli (Capt), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer,Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shivam Dube, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav,Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar#INDvSL

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 23, 2019

Fantasy players might have a tough time to pick players for the series. Here are three players who could be valuable picks in fantasy squads.

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#3 KL Rahul

KL Rahul

KL Rahul's form has been welcoming for India. His decision to go back to domestic cricket has brought back his run-scoring spree. Especially in the T20 format, the 27-year-old has been giving impressive starts at the top of the order.

An Injury to Shikhar Dhawan in the West Indies series helped Rahul to make the opening spot his own, owing to some brilliant performances. His ability to shift gears and score swiftly without taking much risk makes him an ideal opener.

He will be fighting for his spot with his opening partner for the series, Shikhar Dhawan. The left-hander, who recently came back from injury, scored a stroke-filled century in the Ranji Trophy. So, both batsmen will be eager to perform well and become Rohit Sharma's opening partner in the long-run.

Rahul might continue his good form against Sri Lanka and hence, he could be a worthy pick in your fantasy team.

#2 Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga will lead the Sri Lankan challenge against India in the series. Just like grapevine, the 36-year-old bowler has increased his effectiveness with age. Although his pace has dropped, his ability to nail the yorkers has remained as it is.

It was evident in the recently concluded series against New Zealand. Defending a below-par total of 125, Malinga produced a masterclass of bowling yorkers. In his second over, he picked up four wickets in four balls with all four yorkers making the Kiwi batsmen clueless.

His death bowling is still winning games for his team. The IPL final was the best example he showed to the world in 2019. He returns to India, hoping to triumph a strong Indian batting line-up. With him being the captain, Malinga has to play a key role for Sri Lanka.

He does have fond memories of captaining his nation against India in T20Is. He was the captain when Sri Lanka defeated India in the final of the 2014 T20 World Cup. Hence, Malinga could be a valuable captain in your fantasy side.

#1 Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah makes a comeback to the Indian team after four months. The bowler suffered a stress fracture in his lower back, which kept him out of action. With an eye on the T20 World Cup later in the year, the team management rested him to recover from the injury.

Bumrah's comeback will be a huge relief for India, who have struggled to ball well in the death overs recently. In the series against West Indies and Bangladesh, the Indian side were looking for bowlers to bowl the final overs. With Mohammad Shami rested and the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar injured, 26-year-old Bumrah is expected to step up.

Bumrah's last outing for India saw him record his best figures in Tests. His spell of 6/27 against the West Indies included a hat-trick as well. The right-arm bowler would want to repeat his success in 2020 as well. He should definitely be a pick in your fantasy team.