Nidahas Trophy 2018: Match 4, SL vs IND - India Player Ratings

The Indian contingent got off to a poor start in the Nidahas Trophy 2018, but as it appears, they’ve picked enough momentum to go all the way. After losing to Sri Lanka in the first game, they thumped Bangladesh and now, they managed to get the better of the hosts in a tightly contested game in Colombo.

Batting first, Sri Lanka posted 152 runs on the board losing 9 wickets. The rain gods reduced the game to a 19-over affair and Kusal Mendis chipped in with a blazing half-century. Sri Lanka lost track of the innings in the middle overs, but they managed to get a decent finish via Dasun Shanaka and posted a 153-run target.

The Lankan bowlers picked up the most experienced Indian batters, Rohit and Dhawan, inside 4 overs. But Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, and KL Rahul collaborated well to gift their side the second win of the tournament. India completed the run chase with 9 balls to spare despite a few hiccups in the early-middle overs.

Here are the Indian player ratings for this game

1. Rohit Sharma – 5/10

The skipper is just lacking the cutting edge in 2018. After performing so well in the previous calendar year, he is struggling to find his feet. Once again, he got a start and threw it away. But once again, he was decent on the field leading his troops and making the bowling changes.

2. Shikhar Dhawan – 4/10

A very rare failure for Dhawan in the last couple of months. The southpaw miscued a flick shot and scooped the ball in the air, only to get caught at mid-on. But that shouldn’t take anything away from how brilliant he has been in the last few weeks.

3. KL Rahul – 5/10

Got into the Indian playing XI in coloured jerseys after quite a while and didn’t make the most out of it. He was decent on the field and got a good start. He saved himself from a run-out with a spectacular dive, only to become the first Indian player to be dismissed hit wicket in T20Is the very next ball. Life can be cruel at times!

4. Suresh Raina – 6/10

It was a decent little cameo from the bat of Suresh Raina, who smoked a few big hits and rolled back the good old days. His 15-ball 27 included 2 sixes and 2 fours. Could’ve contributed more, nevertheless, a good performance.

5. Manish Pandey – 8/10

Once again, Manish Pandey proves his worth without complaining about his batting position. Came in at number 5, a position he never prefers, but played a blinder. He remained unbeaten on 42 off 31 balls and took his side over the line from a slightly precarious situation.

6. Dinesh Karthik – 7/10

A wicket-keeper playing the finisher’s role in the batting lineup is something we’ve been used to for a long time. But this time, it’s Dinesh Karthik who did the job for India. When he walked in, India needed 68 runs to win and another wicket at that point would’ve made things interesting. But he smashed a 25-ball 39 and helped India march past the winning line with 9 balls to spare.

7. Vijay Shankar – 5/10

After a match-winning display in the previous game, Shankar got spanked with the ball in hand. Was a touch expensive, but returned home with the crucial wicket of Upul Tharanga.

8. Washington Sundar – 8/10

Exceptional performance from the youngster, who is adapting very quickly on the biggest stage there can ever be. He bowled beautifully in the middle overs and picked up two huge wickets of Kusal Perera and Jeevan Mendis. Kudos to Rohit Sharma as well for utilising him to the best effect.

9. Shardul Thakur – 9/10

This tour has been such a roller-coaster ride for young Shardul Thakur. He gave away 27 runs in his first overs in the same fixture about a week ago and now, he registered his career-best figures. Incidentally, he gave the same amount of runs, i.e., 27 in his 4 overs and scalped 4 wickets. Best player on the pitch by some distance!

10. Yuzvendra Chahal – 5/10

Nothing special coming from the Chess magician, but not a bad performance either. Just didn’t make his presence felt like the way he did in South Africa. Picked up the wicket of Kusal Mendis who was in good nick and helped India gain some momentum.

11. Jaydev Unadkat – 5/10

Expensive stuff from the most expensive Indian player at the IPL Auction 2018! Gifted some freebies initially and paid the price. He gave away 33 runs in 3 overs and also managed to pick up a wicket.