Confident India face Lanka in T20I opener

Pune, February 8

Ahead of the opening game of the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday said the non-stop T20 matches in the coming days will help the team prepare well for the forthcoming World T20.

The confidence of the home team is sky high following a 3-0 hammering of Australia Down Under and the T20I series against the island nation will be ideal for preparations for the upcoming Asia Cup in Bangladesh and the World T20 in India. “It’s only the T20 format (that India will be playing for a while). After this series there is Asia Cup, some warm-up games and the World T20. It has given us time to get into the groove,” said Dhoni.

India, who vaulted seven places to first after sweeping aside Australia last week, will need to win the series against Lanka to retain the top rankings. If Sri Lanka win 2-1, they will gain the top spot and India will slip to third position.

India’s star batsman Virat Kohli has been rested for the series. When asked if experienced batsman Suresh Raina will get to bat at No. 3 in Kohli’s absence, Dhoni said, “It did cross our minds to use Raina at No. 3 but it will be better if he bats at the position he is most likely bat in the World T20.” 

On the other hand, Lanka skipper Dinesh Chandimal said star batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan, who is nursing a finger injury, will miss the first match. “Dilshan has a finger fracture. He will not be available for tomorrow, but is coming for the second and third games,” Chandimal said.

Left-arm fast bowler Binura Fernando has been ruled out of the T20 series after sustaining a hamstring injury.

IPL no yardstick to select players for Tests, ODIs: MS      

MS Dhoni said that IPL cannot be the yardstick to pick players for the hard grind of international cricket, particularly Tests and the 50-over format. Dhoni felt the IPL can, at best, be termed a good place to spot talent. “I have always said IPL is a platform where you find talent,” said Dhoni. “After that you follow them in domestic circuit and see how well they are performing. In IPL you can get away with a lot of things. But to select a proper Test or 50-over cricketers on IPL performance, I don’t think it would be right.”  — Agencies