After winning the first T20I by 62 runs, Indian team under the leadership of Rohit Sharma will want to keep their winning momentum alive and clinch the three-match T20I series, when they take on Sri Lanka in the second T20I match, on February 26 (Saturday).
Many big names like Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Shardul Thakur were not available for the T20I series. Indian all-rounder Deepak Chahar was also ruled out of the T20I series due to his injury. But despite all these issues, the Rohit Sharma-led side displayed a terrific show in the first T20I match to script a comfortable victory.
Gavaskar speaks
In a situation like this, former India batsman Sunil Gavaskar has spoken up on the matter and said that “these are really exciting times for Indian cricket.”
“These are really exciting times for Indian cricket. I use the word exciting because the amount of talent that is on show and the way they're saying 'consider me. Take me in the squad'...
“That means the guys who are settled will not be complacent. No member of this team can say to himself that he's a certainty because there's someone at the back chasing. That's the best thing to have for any team and for India to have that is a huge plus,” Gavaskar was quoted while talking to the host broadcaster after the victory in the first T20I match of the series in Lucknow.
Injury concerns
Apart from Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Chahar, Indian team did not have players like KL Rahul and batter Ruturaj Gaikwad in their squad as well, due to injury issues.
After whitewashing the West Indies cricket team in the recently concluded T20I and ODI series, Indian team under the leadership of Rohit Sharma will want to keep their winning momentum alive in the ongoing T20I series.
In the first match of the T20I series, India scored 199 runs losing two wickets in 20 overs. In reply, the visitors could only manage to reach a total of 137 runs losing 6 wickets.
After the completion of the T20I series, India and Sri Lanka will face each other in a two-match Test series.
