Sri Lanka vs India 2017:5 Sri Lanka players to look forward to 

Familiar foes India and Sri Lanka are ready to lock horns in the Island Nation for the upcoming bilateral series starting July 26.

The Men in Blue will take on their sub-continent opponents in a three-Test series, followed by five one-day internationals and a solitary T20I.

The first Test is scheduled to start on July 26 at the Galle International Stadium. Colombo hosts the second Test from August 3, while the third and final match is scheduled at Pallekele from August 12.

While India has the backing of an extremely successful home campaign, the Lankans come off an ODI series loss against Zimbabwe. The team had a mixed campaign which saw now ex-skipper Angelo Mathews step down from captain duties.

Now, with newly-elected captain Dinesh Chandimal out due to pneumonia, Rangana Herath will pick up the reins to try to guide Sri Lanka to a winning start.

In this article, we take a look at 5 such Sri Lankan players who pose a serious threat to the Men in Blue in the upcoming bilateral series.

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Danushka Gunathilaka

Gunathilaka looks in fine form scoring 74 in the practice game against India

Making his maiden Test debut, prolific Sri Lankan all-rounder Danushka Gunathilaka is the man to watch out for.

Plucked from Sri Lanka's domestic system based on his potential, Gunathilaka’s addition in the squad will provide the skipper with an extra bowling option, a luxury that the island nation had not enjoyed much.

The part time right arm off-break bowler is equally deadly with the ball as with his willow and has an impressive stat of 62 wickets in 42 first class matches.

The 26-year-old all-rounder has also been in great form with the bat in the ODI series against Zimbabwe and also impressed in the practice game, scoring 74 for Sri Lanka President's XI.

With Chandimal absent for the first Test, the young batsman will look to capitalize on this chance and consolidate his position in the squad.

Dhananjaya de Silva

The right-hander has impressed everyone with his fearless stroke-making

A charmer with the willow by virtue of his grace and flair, Dhananjaya de Silva is a clinical addition to the batting line up in the middle order. He can also chip in with valuable contributions with the ball when needed, making him a useful asset.

In 59 first class matches, the magnetic all-rounder has registered 3821 runs averaging at 37.09.

He has also picked up 66 wickets with an impressive economy of 3.35. The 25-year-old is capable of wrecking havoc against any opposition once he gets into the groove and his statistics serves as a testament to that.

De Silva is a proposition that any skipper will want in his team, especially with the options that he brings to the table.

The 25-year-old was included in the squad after newly elected captain Dinesh Chandimal was laid low by pneumonia. However, he failed to score in the warm-up game against India. He also had a mixed last season with the willow averaging a little over 20 in the Test series against South Africa.

Despite a couple of poor innings, the right-hander has really impressed everyone with his fearless stroke-making and audacious approach and the Indian skipper will need to devise a strategy to put him on a leash.

Lahiru Kumara

Kumara's variations of seam-up and bouncers is difficult to read

The young, right-arm fast bowler from Kandy, Lahiru Kumara is the latest addition to Sri Lanka’s bowling attack. A regular in U-19 and the ‘A’ team, the 20-year-old is one of the fastest seamers in the Lankan bowling ecosystem.

The youngster brings in a fearless approach to the Lankan bowling unit. His variations of seam-up and bouncers are difficult to read, and the player has enough quality to get into the wickets column emphatically.

Injury layoffs for Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep, and Dhammika Prasad paved his way in the national Test team in October 2016 prior to the tour of Zimbabwe.

The skilled 20-year also put up a steady performance in the Proteas tour earlier this year clinching a total of 14 wickets including his maiden 5-wicket haul.

Kumara became the second-youngest Sri Lanka bowler to achieve the feat as he clinched a career-best figure of 6-122 in the first innings at Newlands.

Lahiru Kumara, along with Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal form the current crop of pacers in the set-up, and skipper Rangana Herath will expect the pace triad to vex the Indian batting lineup in the upcoming test series.

Malinda Pushpakumara

Pushpakumara will aim to make his debut on a high

Malinda Pushpakumara, the yet uncapped Sri Lankan player is set to replace left-arm spinner Lakshan Sandakan in the upcoming bilateral test series against the Men in Blue.

In February 2017, he was named in Sri Lanka's Test squad for their series against Bangladesh but did not play. A prudent left-arm spinner with dangerous variations, Malinda Pushpakumara has been a prolific wicket-taker in recent years.

The 29-year-old’s presence in the side can come in handy with the bat as well. Known for being a pretty good batsman down the order, he is someone the skipper can rely on to bat a few overs and score 30-40 odd runs.

He is yet to be tested at the top most level but his first class record speaks for itself. In 99 first class matches, Pushpakumara has scored 1542 runs with a personal best score of 80*. He has even recorded four half-centuries.

To put his performance into perspective, Pushpakumara claimed a 13-wicket haul and then hit the winning runs to guide Sri Lanka A to victory in Dambulla to square the unofficial Test series with England Lions earlier in February.

With a massive 558 first class wickets, Pushpakumara 's consistency is what makes him stand out.

Niroshan Dickwella

The left hander off late has come in really handy for the island nation

An attacking, unorthodox wicketkeeper-batsman, Niroshan Dickwella made his debut for the national side in 2014 against South Africa.

The 24-year-old had a stellar cricketing career at the school level before his big-league successes.

Awarded Sri Lanka's Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year award in 2012, Dickwella has hit over 1000 domestic runs and led Trinity College (Kandy) to the national championships.

The left-hander has, of late, proved himself a useful addition on Team Sri Lanka, playing some impeccable knocks in the last season.

Well-known for his scoops and ramp shots, Dickwella scored his maiden century in the side’s recent home series against minnows Zimbabwe, although Sri Lanka lost that battle.

In the 3rd ODI of the bilateral series, Dickwella scored 102 and forged a massive 229 opening partnership with Danushka Gunathilaka to guide the Lankans to an 8-wicket victory.

With seven caps and an impressive strike rate of 70.03 in Test Cricket, he will aim to continue his sublime form and create shenanigans for the Indian bowling with his quick feet and decisive strokeplay.