Nidahas Trophy 2018, Match 1, Sri Lanka vs India: Five players to watch out for

The Nidahas Trophy 2018 is all set to get underway. Hosts Sri Lanka will be taking on the pre-tournament favorites India in the series opener. The tri-series, that also involves Bangladesh as the third side, comes as a good opportunity for the sides to end their cricketing season on a high. However, when seen on a micro scale, the series has different meanings for both the sides. For the hosts, the series comes as a good chance to seek redemption. Sri Lanka have been drubbed by the Indian team twice across all the three formats of the game in the recent six months. This includes a complete tourwash on the Sri Lankan soil. Hence, the hosts would want to seek revenge and give their fans something to cheer about in the dismal season against their neighbors. On the other hand, team India will be heading in to the series with a young side. They have rested their senior players and are eyeing the tournament as a good platform to test their bench strength. Coming to the first game, it is needless to concede that the teams would be hoping for individuals to rise to the occasion. Here we pick such players who can be proven match winners on the day. Here are the five players to watch out for in the first game: 1. Suresh Raina Suresh Raina. (Photo Source: Twitter) Veteran Indian cricketer Suresh Raina made a comeback to the Indian team after a lay off of almost a year. He played in all the three T20Is in South Africa and looked decent in his performances. Batting at number three, he will be a key player in the Indian batting order. Also, with no Virat Kohli in the middle-order, Raina will be expected to shoulder more responsibility. Furthermore, as seen in the third T20I against South Africa, Suresh Raina can be used as a bowling option. He can be a wicket-taker on a given day. With the tracks in Sri Lanka being on the slower side, Raina will fancy his chances in the series with the ball as well. 2. Dinesh Karthik Dinesh Karthik of India. (Photo Source: Twitter) Veteran cricketer Dinesh Karthik is set to be in the playing eleven. In all likelihood, he will play as the wicketkeeper-batsman in the absence of MS Dhoni. Unless the team fields in Rishabh Pant and plays Karthik as a specialist batsman, Karthik would be the preferred man with the gloves. In the South Africa series, he had only got one opportunity with the bat. Karthik would be looking for an extended run in this particular series. He would be hoping to put on a decent show to cement his place in the Indian squad for the assignments to come in the future. 3. Kusal Mendis Sri Lanka cricketer Kusal Mendis. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) Young Kusal Mendis has arguably been the most successful Sri Lankan batsman in the recent times. While the other batsmen have largely struggled, Mendis has shown consistency across the three formats of the game. In the recent series in Bangladesh, Mendis had scored a brilliant 196 in a Test game. Later, in the T20Is, he scored 53 and 70 in the two matches that he played. In the last two domestic games that he has played for the Colombo CC, he has scored 64 and 71 in the shortest format of the game. 4. Jaydev Unadkat Jaydev Unadkat celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter) With no Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah in the lineup, Jaydev Unadkat is set to play the role of the Indian bowling spearhead. Unadkat had an ordinary tour of South Africa where he failed to impress with his skills. However, playing in Asia is a different ball game. Unadkat, who is known for his off-cutters, can be a very lethal weapon in the Sri Lankan conditions. He has been in a decent touch in the recent times in domestic cricket. Last year, in the IPL, he was among the leading wicket-takers of the tournament. 5. Akila Dananjaya Akila Dananjaya. (Photo Source: Twitter) Sri Lankan pacers have often been all over the place across multiple games. They have struggled with consistency. On the other hand, their spinners have always been their prime charmers. Coming to the Nidahas Trophy, Sri Lanka will have their hopes on spinner Akila Dananjaya. Akila has been in a good form in the recent times. In a Test fixture against Bangladesh, he recently scalped his maiden five-wicket haul. Also, when India last toured Sri Lanka earlier in the season, Dananjaya had made the Indian batsmen dance to his tunes in one of the ODI fixtures. You can watch the live streaming here For the latest cricket news, follow CricTracker.

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Nidahas Trophy 2018, Match 1, Sri Lanka vs India: Five players to watch out for

The first match of the tri-series will be played between Sri Lanka and India.

4. Jaydev Unadkat

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