Venue: Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
Pitch Report: With an average first-innings score of 179 runs, the surface at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium is a batter’s paradise. The pacers, on the other hand, are expected to benefit from the new ball, making life difficult for the batters. Given the nature of the surface, the team that wins the toss will prefer to bat first.
Match Preview: India and Sri Lanka will clash in the 3rd and last T20I to win the series, which is currently levelled at 1-1.The Indian top order has disappointed as a unit in both the T20Is, with Suryakumar Yadav being the only half-centurion with his 51-run knock in the 2nd T20I. Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, and Hardik Pandya haven’t been able to contribute significantly.Deepak Hooda scored a fifty in the first T20I batting lower down the order while Axar Patel smacked 65 runs off 31 balls with 3 fours & 6 sixes in the 2nd T20I. Dasun Shanaka has been leading the Lankan batting from the front with 101 runs in 2 matches while striking at 206.12. Kusal Mendis has scored 80 runs in the series while Charith Asalanka has 49 runs, which implies the batting has been majorly dependent on Shanaka who has carried the batting single-handedly in both matches.With the series levelled at 1-1, the 3rd T20I between India and Sri Lanka is expected to go down the wire as a close contest.
Probable Playing XI
India:
Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul Tripathi, Hardik Pandya (c), Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Mavi, Umran Malik, Yuzvendra Chahal
Sri Lanka:
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka
