Team India continued to play like World Champions by beating Sri Lanka by a significant 43-run margin. The match saw India’s brilliance with both bat and ball. While the islanders fought hard in the second half, the Surya Kumar Yadav-led Men in Blue outfit managed to seize control in India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I. Let’s check out live cricket score, top performances and other stuff.
SL Won the Toss, Put India in
India vs Sri Lanka first T20I was staged with many expectations from both camps. India fielded without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who retired from this format after winning the T20 World Cup 2024. Sri Lanka wanted to start afresh after the drubbing in the World Cup.
Sri Lanka Captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and put India into bat looking at the overcast conditions at Pallekelle. Yashasvi Jaiswal started brilliantly by dispatching Mashushanka for a boundary down the fine leg region. Shubhaman Gill joined in the act by smashing two successive boundaries in that over to take India’s total to 13 for no loss at the end of the first over. In the second over, Jaiswal hit two boundaries. Came the third over, Jaiswal hammered Maheesh Tikshana for six and four off successive deliveries to make his intention clear.
Jaiswal survived an LBW call on the last ball of Tikshana’s over before Shubhman Gill hit two boundaries in the fourth over of Asitha to take India’s total to 51 for no loss. The demolition work continues as both Jaiswal and Shubhman unleashed further to take India to 74 for 1 at the end of the 6-over powerplay. Shubhman was caught off the last ball of the powerplay by failing to loft Madhushanka out of the ground. Asitha took the catch to see the back of Shubhman. This is how the powerplay went between India vs Sri Lanka in 1st T20I
SL Dismiss Yashashvi Straight After the Powerplay
Wanindu Hasaranga dragged Yashasvi out of the crease with his flighted delivery that turned across him. Kusal Mendis whipped the bails off in a flash to dismiss Yashasvi. Hasraranga could have got Surya Kumar Yadav if there was a slip. An edge that flew across the vacant slip cordon to the fence for four. Despite the loss of Yashasvi and Shubhman in quick succession, India were in a commanding position as Surya and Pant came to the crease with around 13 overs left.
Surya soon got into his customary 360-degree mode by flicking Madhushanka for a 75-metre long six on the fourth ball of the 8th over in the fine leg region. Seeing that, Asalanka brought in a fielder inside the fine leg. However, Surya hit well over the man to get a boundary. Adding insult to the injury was another boundary Surya hit which could have brought about his downfall if the fielder at the fine leg grabbed the chance offered to him. India reached 100 for two at the end of 8.4 overs. Kamindu Mendis who came to bowl the 10th over was greeted with a boundary off the first ball as Surya hit over the in-field on the off-side.
Surya Continued to Dominate, Pant Played the Second Fiddle
Hasaranga had Rishabh Pant in a lot of trouble as the Delhi lad played all over it and was hit in front of the stump. The umpire, however, didn’t seem interested. Sri Lanka went for the appeal. However, the ball tracking showed that the ball was pitched outside the leg stump, so Pant survived, much to India’s comfort. Surya then took over by dispatching Pathirana for a maximum behind square on the leg-side. Surya completed his third half-century as the captain by placing the ball perfectly between the long-on and deep mid-wicket fielder. Islanders were sloppy on the field as misfields and dropped catches sum up their misery in India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I. India reached 146 for 2 at the end of 13 overs.
Sri Lanka Finally Dismissed Surya
Surya started the 14th over with a boundary down the long off region. Pathirana then bowled a perfect yorker to dismiss him leg before wicket. Hasaranga had induced a false stroke from Hardik Pandya in the 15th over. However, there was no one in the mid-off region. Rishabh Pant hit a full toss from Asitha to a maximum on the leg side. Pant then clobbered him for a four through the off-side region. Suddenly, he started to blister from a rather circumspect beginning in India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I. Hardik Pandya smashed Pathirana for a boundary before being bowled by a perfect yorker. Rishabh threw caution to the wind by opening the face of the bat at the last time to smash a boundary.
A Flurry of Fours and Sixes in Slog Overs of India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I
Riyan Parag, who got the opportunity ahead of Sanju Samson, hit Maheesh Thikshana for a four behind the wicket for a boundary. Rishabh then smacked one hard to beat the long-off fielder for another boundary. Pathirana bowled another searing yorker to trap Riyan leg before wicket in the first ball of the 19th over. However, Pant was in no mood to relent. He smashed a slower delivery behind the wicket for a four. He hit one more the next ball despite the bat goes out of his hand. Pathirana, however, had the last laugh by hitting the off timber of Rishabh Pant who scored 49. Asitha dismissed Rinku Singh in the last over as the left hander chopped on while attempting to hit on the leg side. Axar Patel hit a six to wrap up India’s innings at 213 for 7 at the end of 20 overs.
Kusal Mendis, Pathun Nisanka Score Heavily in the Powerplay of India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I
Openers Kusal Mendis and Pathun Nisanka gave Sri Lanka a rollicking start by smashing Indian bowlers to all corners of the ground. After a relatively quiet first two overs, these two unleashed breathtaking strokes one after another to take Sri Lanka’s score around 60 in the powerplay. However, these two didn’t stop even after the powerplay by dispatching both good and bad balls to sixes and fours, shocking captain Surya Yadav and his teammates. They won’t have thought about the onslaught from the Sri Lankan team. However, Arshdeep Singh got rid of Kusal Mendis who was holed out in the deep square leg by Yashasvi. He scored 45. Nisanka, however, hit a six off the last ball to take Sri Lanka to 91 for 1 at the end of 9 overs. Sri Lanka reached 100 for 1 at the end of 10.2 overs.
More Fours and Sixes in India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I
Pathun Nisanka and Kusal Perera continued slamming Indian bowlers. Nisanka completed his half-century soon and continued to dominate Indian bowlers. At the end of 12 overs, Sri Lanka reached 120 for 1, keeping up with the required rate. Nisanka then smashed Axar for two successive fours. Nisanka smashed Hardik’s first ball of the 14th over to a six on the leg side. Ravi Bishnoi dropped an easy catch off Nisanka to pile on India’s misery further. However, Axar Patel bowled him on the first ball of the 15th over to leave Sri Lanka at 140 for 2 in 14.1 overs.
Here’s How Slog Overs Panned Out in India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I
Perera hit a four off Axar in that over before Ravi Bishnoi took his catch on the leg side to keep Sri Lanka at 149 for 3 at the end of 15 overs. Ravi Bishnoi could not hold on to a return catch off Perera. What’s more, he ended up hitting his eye while juggling with the ball. Kamindu Mendis slammed Bishnoi for two successive fours to help Sri Lanka keep up with the asking rate. Bishnoi struck on the last ball of the 16th over, dismissing Asalanka for a golden duck. A good throw from the deep saw the runout of Dashun Shanaka for a duck.
Riyan Parag bowled Kamindu Mendis who was going for an expansive drive through the off-side field. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Wanindu on the first ball of the 18th over to leave Sri Lanka at 163 for 7. The asking rate climbed past 16 and became tougher for the islanders in India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I. Mohd. Siraj dismissed Pathirana for six in the penultimate ball of the 19th over. Riyan Parag took the final two wickets to bundle out Sri Lanka for 170, winning the game by 43 runs.
