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Axar Patel's exceptional all-round display was overshadowed by Dasun Shanaka's brilliance as Sri Lanka fought back after losing the first T20I and registered an emphatic win in the second T20I on January 05 (Thursday) in Pune. The Islanders rode on their captain's majestical night in Pune and thumped India by 16 runs. Shanaka first scored 56 not out off 22 balls and then bagged two wickets in the last over of the game to kill any hopes of an Indian miracle.
The Men in Blue are competing in the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka without two superstars of Indian cricket - Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Speculations have been rife regarding the future of Rohit and Virat in the shortest format of the game with pundits and fans asking for a revamp of India's T20I side.
Some reports have even suggested that Hardik Pandya will be named India's T20I captain as Rohit and Virat both turning their focus to 50-over and Test cricket.
After the 2nd T20I loss against Sri Lanka, head coach Rahul Dravid also hinted that India might move on from the two superstars of Indian cricket in the shortest format of the game as preparations begin for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
"For us, obviously, from the last semi-final (in the T20 World Cup) that we played against England, only 3-4 boys are playing in the XI (against Sri Lanka). We are slightly in a different stage of looking at the next cycle of T20, so ours is a slightly younger team and for us to play against the quality of Sri Lanka is a fantastic experience. The good thing is that a lot of focus is on the ODI World Cup and World Test Championship, so the T20s give us the opportunity to try out these guys," Dravid said during the post-match press conference.
"Of course, they are improving. We keep working hard and we keep trying to help them support them technically, you know, with whatever we can, in terms of support and also just creating the right environment for them to be able to get the best out of their skills," he added.
Meanwhile, chasing a daunting target of 207 runs, the Men in Blue clawed their way back into the game after losing early wickets after Axar and Suryakumar Yadav lit up the night sky in Pune. The spin-bowling all-rounder delivered an impeccable spell with the ball (2/24) and then played a blistering knock of 65 runs off 31 balls with the help of three fours and six sixes. Suryakumar chipped in with 51 runs off 36 balls with the help of three fours and as many sixes.
Despite the best efforts of Axar and Suryakumar, India could only manage to score 190/8 in 20 overs.
