India and Sri Lanka are currently locked in a battle in the first T20I of a three-match series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to field first. India made a blistering start, with openers Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal forming a formidable partnership. However, a brilliant catch by Asitha Fernando disrupted the momentum, breaking the opening stand. Amidst the fireworks from the Indian openers and Fernando's stunning catch, Kamindu Mendis has grabbed the spotlight.
Kamindu Mendis turns heads with ambidextrous bowling
The 25-year-old, making his India debut, has showcased his unique ability to bowl with both hands, leaving everyone impressed.
Introduced in the tenth over, Kamindu Mendis began his spell with left-arm bowling against Suryakumar Yadav. The Indian captain greeted Mendis with a boundary on the first ball before taking a single. With Rishabh Pant on strike, Mendis surprised everyone by switching to right-arm off-spin. Despite conceding a four on the first ball, Mendis managed to keep the rest of the over wicketless and boundary-less.
Suryakumar's blistering knock powers India to formidable total
Talking about the match, Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India made a commanding start to their T20I series against Sri Lanka on July 27, posting a formidable total of 213/7. Newly appointed T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav marked his first game in charge with a blistering innings of 58 runs from just 26 balls, showcasing the aggressive batting that has made him a global sensation. He cracked eight fours and two sixes in his spellbinding knock.
It was his knock which propelled India to a strong finish. However, the foundation for the big total was laid by young openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, who shared a rapid 74-run partnership in the powerplay. While Yashasvi scored 21-ball 40, Gill made a quickfire 16-ball 34.
Later India ended up winning the match by 43 runs as they folded Sri Lanka for 170 runs.
India's playing XI:
Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Riyan Parag, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
Sri Lanka's Playing XI:
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka(c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka
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