Sri Lanka v India, One-off T20: Sri Lanka's predicted XI

Sri Lanka will inevitably have a very tough job in hand when they face off against the mighty Indian side, who have battered them in all departments. Nevertheless, a fact that not many can’t belittle is there are some decent talents in the green room who can pull off something brilliant from their arsenal and win games.

After so much hard work in the longer formats, Sri Lankan players would definitely enjoy playing the shortest format. Over the past, the likes of Lasith Malinga, Tilakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumara Sangakkara made them quite a force to reckon with in this format, but slowly, they lost touch in this format as well.

The World T20 champions in 2014 will find it incredibly difficult to be on the same page as that of the Indian side, but its not impossible. What they lack currently is co-ordination within the team and given they can do something to break that dead lock, things can change for Sri Lanka. Here’s the list of players who will probably make it to the XI on Wednesday.

Niroshan Dickwella

The aggressive southpaw has to learn a lot from the likes of Adam Gilchrist, Virender Sehwag or Mathew Hayden on how to be aggressive in the initial overs without playing too many rash shots. Technically, Dickwella seems quite a sound prospect but in an attempt to up the ante, he tends to play some nothing shots which paves way for his dismissal. It’ll be interesting to see how he approaches on Wednesday given the track will assist the batters a lot.

Dilshan Munaweera

The 28-year-old has not been getting enough chances off late, but the talent he possesses is something that cannot be doubted. Munaweera got off to decent starts in the two games he played and he threw his wicket away on both occasions. He will open the batting alongside Dickwella and the duo have a tough job of facing the new ball music.

Upul Tharanga (Captain)

Nothing has gone right for the Sri Lankan skipper, but personally, Upul Tharanga has been scoring some runs. The veteran has loads of experience in his baggage and he needs to convert these good starts into big knocks and stay for a long period of time at the crease. If he can stay for around 15 overs in the middle, he can easily spank a 70 or 80 which will do a world of good for his side.

Angelo Mathews

Arguably their best and most reliable player at the moment, Angelo Mathews is always a handy customer with the bat. He recently struck some form with the ball as well, making him quite a potent weapon. There’s a lot of burden on his shoulders as he needs to pull out something extravagant to ensure the crowds return to the stadiums in Sri Lanka to watch their home team perform.

Seekkuge Prasanna

Sri Lanka needs a fair share of experience and fire power in the middle order and Seekkuge Prasanna can be a great addition to the unit. The 32-year-old has been in and out of the side, but he can make an impact with his power hitting. He is a decent leg spinner as well who can provide four decent overs to his captain if needed.

Wanidu Hasaranga

Hasaranga had a dream debut to his International career, picking up a hattrick off the very first game he played for his national side. He failed to replicate anything of that caliber again, but the selectors have shown faith in the all-rounder. He is just 20 years of age and the skipper will have a crucial role in managing or utilising him during the course of the match.

Thisara Perera

Thisara Perera is a more than useful resource in the T20 format. The all-rounder has tasted great success for various T20 sides across the globe including Brisbane Heat, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rising Pune Supergiant. He has the ability to hit the long ball and provides few decent overs for his skipper.

Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga was the captain of the Sri Lankan side which lifted the World T20 trophy back in 2014. No matter how old he gets, he is always a force to reckon with in the shortest format and there’s no doubt that the Indians won’t take him for granted. Sri Lankan cricket needs its senior players to deliver at this moment and Malinga has still a lot to offer for his country.

Suranga Lakmal

Suranga Lakmal failed to attain a regular status in the side due to his inconsistency. But the tall, lanky fast bowler generates great pace and can the move the ball both ways. He struggles when it comes to finding the right areas but a bowler who has the capacity to bowl 140+ clicks regularly is aways a useful prospect.

Akila Dananjaya

The man who managed to raise a lot of eyebrows with his mystery spin, Akila Dananjaya is yet to face a tough T20 situation. He made his debut at the age of 18 but failed to make his mark in his initial days. But he bamboozled few Indian batters quite comprehensively during the ODI series and he will be looking to continue the same in the T20 game.

Jeffrey Vandersay

Jeffrey Vandersay was initially not a part of the T20 squad, but he was named in the revised squad to add some more fire power in the spin department. The leg-spinner from Wattala has been performing well in the domestic tournaments, which earned him a national call. It’ll be interesting to see if he can withstand the heat and prevent the Indian batters from scoring big.