India vs Sri Lanka 2nd T20I: Key players to look out for

The opening T20I fixture between India and Sri Lanka at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati was abandoned due to rain. In a bid to take an all important lead in this short T20I series, both the teams will move to Indore for the second T20I at the Holkar Stadium on Tuesday, January 7, 2020.

Head-to-Head Overall: India undoubtedly leads the head-to-head stats with 11 wins out of their 16 completed games against the islanders.

Head-to-Head in India: The hosts outclass the visitors with just two defeats in nine home fixtures. In their most recent meeting at the Holkar Stadium (December 22, 2017), batting first, the Blues rode on Rohit Sharma (118) and KL Rahul's (89) splendid 165-run partnership to post a daunting 260 runs on the board and then bundled out the Lankan squad for 172 to register an 88-run win.

Weather Report: A hazy evening with 31% cloud cover, but no chance of rain. The temperature is expected drift around 18-21°C.

India:

The Indians are coming off an impressive series wins against Bangladesh and West Indies and looks set for a similar show against their inconsistent opponents.

Expected XI: Virat Kohli (C), Rishabh Pant (W), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah.

Also see – India vs Australia schedule

Players to watch

Key Batsmen: KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan

In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul are likely to open the innings, Rahul was also in good touch against the Windies, while the comeback man Dhawan will be itching to prove his value against Sri Lanka. Apart from these two, skipper Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant form an aggressive middle-order that can make the opponents sweat on the ground.

Key Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah

Experienced Jasprit Bumrah (51 T20I wickets) is known for his economical spells and clinical death bowling, and the pacer is likely to be skipper's main weapon against the visitors. Wrist spin master Kuldeep Yadav picked three wickets in the last Lankan meet at this venue and he will be backed to make a similar impact on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka

The Lankans suffered a humiliating blanking. A 0-3 defeat in Australia and are in search of a revival against the Indians.

Expected XI: Lasith Malinga (C), Kusal Perera (W), Avishka Fernando, Danushka Gunathilaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Oshada Fernando, Dhananjaya de Silva, Lahiru Kumara, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Isuru Udana.

Players to Watch

Key Batsmen: Kusal Perera & Bhanuka Rajapaksha

Kusal Perera (77 runs off 37 balls) was team's best batsman in their previous T20I at this venue and his performance will be essential on Tuesday as well. Bhanuka Rajapaksha has been awarded for his good show during the Pakistan tour and BPL 2019-20. He is coming off an unbeaten 96 for Comilla Warriors in BPL, and is capable of surprising the Indian line-up.

Key Bowlers: Lasith Malinga & Isuru Udana

Lasith Malinga is undoubtedly the spearhead of the islanders bowling line-up and is never an easy hit for his opponents. His bowling spell will certainly be the deciding factor in determining the Sri Lankan fortunes against India. Isuru Udana also has good bowling experience for the visiting side and he will be their go-to man during the middle overs.