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Sri Lanka lost nine wickets for thirty runs in the opening Twenty20 International. They lost seven for thirty-two in the second. So far in Charith Asalanka’s maiden series as Sri Lanka’s full-time T20I captain, this has been the hosts’ recurring theme. Just 0 and 14 points were earned by Asalanka in the two contests.
In both games, Sri Lanka reached scores of 140 and 80 at the fall of the second wicket thanks to the efforts of the top three scorers. The series’ top run scorer is Pathum Nissanka. In the first game, Kusal Mendis scored 45 runs, while Kusal Perera got a half-century. Beyond them, though, things have not gone well; the best score from the middle and lower ranks came from Kamindu Mendis’ 26 in the second Twenty20 International.
To deliver on the platform provided by their top order, Sri Lanka will need to figure out how to get out of their middle-order quagmire.
India has sealed the series with impressive performances, so they don’t really need to worry about much else. However, they would like to give some of their hitters, including Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, and Riyan Parag, more time in the middle.
The only batter in the series to score more than 100 runs is Pathum Nissanka, who is striking at 154.16. Compared to his career strike rate of 123.90, he has scored 753 runs at a strike rate of 154.93 in 2024, demonstrating his incredible form. In the Lanka Premier League, he was the league’s highest-scoring opener and continued to shine. It is more important than ever for him to continue turning in standout batting performances because of their shaky middle order.
Rishabh Pant returned to competitive cricket in the IPL 2024 after a near-fatal accident, and after a strong season, he was selected for the 2024 T20 World Cup. He scored 42 off of 31 in a low-scoring victory over Pakistan, but even though India went on to win the title, he was unable to convert his subsequent starts. In the opening match in this series, Pant made 49 off 33, but he was dismissed on 11 after a shaky start. With Sanju Samson trailing him in the heirarchy, Pant has pressure to establish his qualifications for India in the quickest time possible.