IND vs SL Match Prediction - Who will win today's T20I match between India and Sri Lanka?

India (IND) will be locking horns with Sri Lanka (SL) in the first T20I at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3. The Men in Blue were in great form last year in bilateral T20I series and would now look to continue the winning streak as the new year begins.

The Indian team will be led by star all-rounder Hardik Pandya as regular skipper Rohit Sharma is yet to fully recover from a thumb injury that he had sustained during the last month’s ODI series in Bangladesh. Notably, batting megastar Virat Kohli has also been given a break for this series.

India will be fielding a young brigade in the upcoming T20I series with an eye on the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Kerala stumper Sanju Samson has been given a chance to prove his mettle and he would be looking to take this opportunity with both hands.

The Sri Lankan team on the other hand would be determined to do something exceptional this time around on Indian soil having suffered a 0-3 whitewash last year. The reigning T20 Asia Cup champions would be upbeat having handed India a six-wicket defeat in the Super Four clash of the continental tournament last September.

Match Details

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Date & Time: January 3, 7:00 PM IST

Telecast & Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar

Pitch Report

The wicket at the Wankhede Stadium has been a batters’ paradise and the bowlers have literally toiled hard while bowling on this surface over the years. Batting second is very easy on this track and it becomes way more easier with the presence of dew as the contest progresses. Therefore, the captain winning the toss will look to bowl first.

Predicted Playing XI for IND vs SL

India:

Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya (c), Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

Sri Lanka:

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Avishka Fernando, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka

Probable Best Performers from IND vs SL

Probable best batter: Suryakumar Yadav

The onus will be on Suryakumar Yadav to continue his purple patch in the home series against Sri Lanka. Yadav had an outstanding 2022 scoring two overseas centuries and finishing as the top run-scorer of this format having amassed 1164 runs from 31 matches. He heads into the new year as the top-ranked T20I batter.

Probable best bowler: Wanindu Hasaranga

Wanindu Hasaranga will be a lethal threat for the Indian batters in the upcoming T20I series as he has the ability to single-handedly take the game away from the opposition with crucial bowling spells. He finished as the third-highest wicket-taker of 2022 with 34 wickets in the bag and was the leading wicket-taker of the T20 World Cup with 15 scalps from eight matches.

Today’s Match Prediction: India to win the match

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Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.