After a washed-out opening match in Guwahati, India and Sri Lanka will tussle in the second T20I of the series at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. The virtual series opener will be played on January 7 and both the sides will seek to register their first victory of the year 2020. Many eyes will be on Shikhar Dhawan and Jasprit Bumrah who will be making a comeback while the veterans will rely on skipper Lasith Malinga and Kusal Perera. The forthcoming clash is expected to witness a fierce battle between the bat and the ball and below, we’ll look at some of those individual clashes. India Vs Sri Lanka, Cricket Score 2nd T20I Match.

Going by the recent form of both the sides, Virat Kohli and Men have been quite dominant in the ongoing home season and are expected to thrash the Sri Lankan side too. On the other hand, Sri Lanka’s last T20I series was against Australia down under where they lost all the three matches. Nevertheless, many Lankan players have the experience of playing in Indian conditions and will eye to make full use of it. Meanwhile, let’s look at some mini battles which can be witnessed in Indore. India vs Sri Lanka 2nd T20I 2020: IND Predicted Playing XI; All Eyes on Jasprit Bumrah As Hosts Set to Retain Side.

Jasprit Bumrah vs Kusal Perera

The return of Bumrah was certainly a huge relief for the Indian team management as the Indian pacer was last seen in action in September 2019 and is making a comeback. His lethal yorkers and other variations will certainly trouble the visiting batsmen. However, Kusal Perera will look to dominate Bumrah in order to give his side an upper hand.

KL Rahul vs Lasith Malinga

The Indian opener showcased some brilliant performances in the series against West Indies and will aim to extend his purple patch against the Lankans too. However, he will have to neutralize the Lasith Malinga effect in order to register a significant score. The Lankan maestro still has the sheen left in him and the right-handed batsman needs to play at the merit.

Rishabh Pant vs Wanindu Hasaranga

Amid all the criticism, Pant will hope to start the year 2020 with a blistering knock. The southpaw showed some signs of returning to form against West Indies and let’s see if he can continue his streak. However, Lankan skipper Wanindu Hasaranga can certainly spin his web around and getting better of him will certainly not be easy for the dashing batsman.

With the ICC T20 World cup 2020 being less than a year away, time is running out for all the sides in order to identify their best playing XI in order to strengthen their squad. India’s preparation for the gala tournament certainly looks apt while Sri Lanka will have to work on their permutations and combinations.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 06, 2020 06:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).