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Team India kicked off the new year with a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. The two neighboring nations are playing in the first T20I of the series at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3.
Several senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Jasprit Bumrah are missing this series. Hardik Pandya will lead a young Indian side comprising several exciting players.
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and opted to field, considering the dew factor at the venue. 2018 India U19 World Cup-winning teammates Shubman Gill and Shivam Mavi will make their T20I debuts for the hosts in this contest.
Here are the playing XIs:
India XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya (c), Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Shivam Mavi, Umran Malik, and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, and Dilshan Madushanka.
Fans took note of Team India's playing XI composition after the toss and took to social media platforms to express their reactions by sharing hilarious memes.
Here is a collection of the best memes:
"We wanted to bat first"- Team India captain Hardik Pandya at the toss in the 1st T20I vs Sri Lanka
Speaking after losing the toss, Team India captain Hardik Pandya revealed that they were happy to bat first and put themselves in a challenging situation in the first T20I.
He also emphasized the importance of getting exposed to difficult circumstances in the bilateral series and said:
"Always excited to play for the country but leading the team now makes it more special. Very excited to see how this new bunch comes out and expresses themselves. We wanted to bat first. We want to get challenged and put ourselves in difficult decisions. That's what you want to do in the bilaterals."
Backing his young teammates, Pandya continued:
"These guys are the best cricketers in India. For us, we want to make sure they have the backing to go out there and perform to their abilities. We have two debutants today. Gill and Mavi. Shubman has been around for a while but we're excited for Shivam, who comes in because Arshdeep is not available."
Do you think Rahul Tripathi or Ruturaj Gaikwad should have got a chance in the playing XI? Sound off your opinions in the comments section.
