India play Sri Lanka in a short three-match T20 series starting with the first game in Guwahati. With the T20 World Cup in Australia not far away, the two teams will get to know more about where they stand in the format with these games. The Men in Blue at home are overwhelming favourites for the contest and over the years, the gulf in class between the two teams has only widened. If we take a look at the head to head record between the two countries, they have met on 16 occasions before with India winning 11 and Sri Lanka five. India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I 2020: Posters, Placards and Banners Banned For IND vs SL Clash in Guwahati.

A look at their last five games.

Sri Lanka vs India – March 12, 2018 – Colombo – India won by 6 wickets

A brilliant 38 ball 55 by Kusal Mendis helped Sri Lanka reach 152 in this T20 game reduced to 19 overs a side. Shardul Thakur was the pick of the bowlers for India with 4 wickets on a slow track. India started off poorly with 3 wickets down by 62 runs but Manish Pandey and Murali Karthik made sure India won by 6 wickets.

Sri Lanka vs India – March 6, 2018 – Colombo – Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets

India were blown away by the heroics of Kusal Perera who slammed a 37 ball 66 which included 4  towering sixes as it helped his side chase down 175 with 5 wickets in the shade. Earlier India had made 174 courtesy a 90 from opener Shikhar Dhawan.

India vs Sri Lanka – December 24, 2017 – Mumbai – India won by 5 wickets

Sri Lanka did not make use of a flat track in Wankhede batting first as they could manage 135/7 in their quota of twenty overs. A target of 136 was never going to challenge a side like India who won the game comfortably by 5 wickets with Dinesh Karthik and MS Dhoni seeing off Sri Lanka’s challenge.

India vs Sri Lanka – December 22, 2017 – Indore – India won by 88 wickets

Openers K L Rahul and Rohit Sharma were involved in a 165 run opening stand as India scored a mammoth 260-5 batting first. Skipper Rohit Sharma enthralled the crowd with a 43 ball 118 which contained 8 sixes. Sri Lanka batted well but could only manage 172 to lose this one-sided contest. India vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I 2020, Key Players: Virat Kohli, Lasith Malinga and Other Cricketers to Watch Out for in Guwahati.

India vs Sri Lanka – December 20, 2017 – Cuttack – India won by 93 runs

Another splendid batting performance from the Men in Blue to smash Sri Lanka’s bowling unit out of the park. The hosts set Sri Lanka a target of 181 runs but the latter folded for a paltry 87 with Yuzvendra Chahal picking up 4 wickets.

India have dominated Sri Lanka in the last few years when it comes to T20 cricket and it will take a special effort from the visitors to stop the hosts from claiming a victory in the Guwahati game.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 04, 2020 07:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).