Tri-Nation T20 series starts in Sri Lanka today. India will play against hosts in inaugural match.
The match will begin at the Premadasa Stadium of Colombo in the evening at 7:30 pm.
The tournament is hosted by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLC) on the 70th anniversary of Sri Lanka's independence. The name has been kept Nidahas Trophy.
In addition to Sri Lanka-India, Bangladesh was also invited to participate in this tournament. So the two touring teams have already reached Colombo to participate in the tournament.
In this series of small format, three teams are not getting regular captains. In January this year, Shakib Al Hasan got injured in the tri-nation one-day series’ final against Sri Lanka in Dhaka. As a result, the Bangladesh captain has been out of Test and T20 series against Sri Lanka.
According to the doctors' advice, the all-rounder had to take his name out of the tri-nation tournament to be held in Colombo. Mahmudullah Riyad took the responsibility in his absence.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli along with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Bhuvneshwar Kumar , Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav, has been kept in rest in this trophy.
The players of Team India have very little experience in the national team except acting captain Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, and Yuzvendra Chahal.
At the end of the last year, taking the team's responsibility the coach Chandika Hathurusingha appointed the captain of his choice. Angelo Mathews was appointed as the captain of Sri Lanka team again.
Dinesh Chandimal took the responsibility of Sri Lanka at the beginning of Bangladesh tour. Because of injuries, instead of Mathews Sri Lanka is relying on Chandimal in Nidhas.
The island state will want to take the opportunity against the young India in its first match of the tournament, though the hosts did not get victory with India in the last five T20s.
But after taking responsibility by Hathurusingha, there is a change in Lankan team. Apart from the tri-nation series in Bangladesh, the team is confident of winning the Test and Twenty20 against Tamim-Mushfiq.
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