Sri Lanka's cricketers to meet Dalai Lama ahead of the 1st ODI

India will take on Sri Lanka in the 1st ODI at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Stadium in Dharamshala. The Lankan side were planning to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama ahead of their encounter against India. The spiritual leader stays very near to the cricket stadium, which is 1,300 meters above the sea level. The Lankans ended the 3-match Test series with a gritty draw at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi.

Earlier this year, Australian players met the spiritual leader during their Test tour. Aussie skipper Steve Smith had asked him questions on how to sleep during such high-octane contests. The spiritual leader paid a visit during the 2014 limited overs game between India and West Indies. He had blessed the players of both the teams.

Australia’s famous visit

“I asked him a question on sleep and how he could help me. He gave me his blessings. We rubbed our noses together and blessed me. Hopefully, I can sleep well over the next five days,” Smith had said after his meeting.

“The meeting relaxed us a bit. His emphasis is on compassion and oneness for all human beings. Sometimes we go over the top when we play cricket out in the middle. At the end of the day, it is a game and one must realise that at the end of the day. That is something the team can take out of this meeting,” Smith added.

The visitors will look to put on a good performance in the 3-match ODI series. Their hero from the last game Dhananjaya de Silva, who scored an unbeaten hundred before retiring hurt, will undergo a fitness test ahead of the match but according to a source, his chances of playing in the opener looks slim.

On the other hand, Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian team, in the absence of Virat Kohli, who has been rested for the limited-overs series. Kohli will be back in action against South Africa next year.