Suryakumar Yadav played a sublime knock of 112* off 51 balls to make sure India outclass Sri Lanka in the T20I series decider at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium. The middle-order batter has been named the Player of the Match for his batting masterclass. “It’s really important to put pressure on yourself when you are preparing for a game. If you do that in practice, it gets a little easier while playing the game. There is a lot of hard work involved but it’s about doing quality practice sessions. You should know what your game is and prepare accordingly. Boundaries behind are like 50-60 meters, so I was targeting them,” Suryakumar said after the match. 

“After the first match, I had a discussion with the coaches – on what pace and line to be bowling. (On Suryakumar Yadav) He’s batting at a different level and I’m happy that I’m in the same team as him. Axar is a perfect package. It’s tough to bowl to him as well as he’s a clean hitter,” spinner Chahal said after the match. 

What a comeback! The Indian pacer has cleaned up Madushanka to take his third wicket of the contest. Sri Lanka bowled out for 137 in 16.4 overs. A massive win for India as Pandya and Co. crush Sri Lanka by 91 runs in the 3rd T20 at Rajkot. 

The Indian pacer has bagged the crucial wicket of Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka in the 17th over. The star batter took the aerial route but he failed to clear the boundary. A brilliant catch by Axar Patel. Shanaka c Axar b Arshdeep Singh 23(17). India are on verge of a famous win. Sri Lanka need 93 runs in 22 balls. 

Oh, the sweet music of cartwheeling stumps! Umran Malik has cleaned up Theekshana with a beauty! A fiery delivery by the Jammu and Kashmir express pacer to get the better of the batter. Theekshana b Umran Malik 2(5). Kasun Rajitha is the next batter in for Sri Lanka. Umran has just 1 over left, he has taken two wickets so far in the contest. Rajitha has creamed two boundaries to end the over. 

Captain Hardik Pandya gets his man! A review taken by Sri Lanka after Pandya outfoxed Karunaratne in the 15th over. A clear gap between bat and pad. Ball tracking has handed three reds to confirm Karunaratne’s departure. Pandya gets his 2nd wicket and Team India is in the driving seat at Rajkot. A two-ball duck for Karunaratne. Maheesh Theekshana has joined Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka. Sri Lanka need 104 runs in 30 balls. 

Power-hitter Hasaranga has struggled to get going with the bat in the T20I series. Stationed at mid-on, Deepak Hooda takes a sharp catch to hand Malik his first wicket of the match. SL 107-6 after 13 overs. 

OUT! Gill takes the catch and Chahal has his second wicket. A soft dismissal so to speak as Dhananjaya de Silva gives away his wicket in the 12th over. Chahal, who has a brace of wickets in the series decider, is on the cusp of surpassing Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Dhananjaya c Shubman Gill b Chahal 22(14). Wanindu Hasaranga has joined skipper Dasun Shanaka at the crease. Sri Lanka (101/5) need 128 runs in 48 balls. 

A leading edge on the second ball and Axar was close to taking the return catch. The ball eventually goes towards the man at long-off, single taken. Overall, another tidy over by Axar as he leaks just 3 runs. SL 94-4 after 11 overs. Sri Lanka need 135 runs in 54 balls. 

OUT! A fine running catch taken by Mavi as Yuzvendra Chahal strikes in his first over. Asalanka c Shivam Mavi b Chahal 19(14). Don’t forget Chahal is eyeing a record-outing in the 3rd T20I against Sri Lanka. Mavi covered a lot of ground to make the catch look ridiculously easy! Time for drinks. Sri Lanka need 145 runs in 63 balls. 

A disastrous start by pace ace Umran Malik, who bowled a no-ball to give away a free hit to Asalanka. The speedster has leaked 15 runs in his 1st over. SL 73-3 after 8 overs. Axar will bowl the next over. 

You just can’t keep Arshdeep Singh out of this contest. After taking his first wicket, the Indian pacer has taken the catch of Sri Lanka’s Avishka Fernando, who departs in the 6th over. Avishka Fernando c Arshdeep Singh b Hardik Pandya 1(3). This is captain Pandya’s first wicket of the contest. Sri Lanka need 173 runs in 80 balls. 

After spinner Axar Patel opened his account, captain Pandya brought back Arshdeep into the attack who delivered with the crucial scalp of Sri Lanka opener – Nissanka. Shivam Mavi takes the catch as Arshdeep bags his first wicket. Nissanka c Shivam Mavi b Arshdeep Singh 15(17). Sri Lanka (45/2) need 184 runs in 86 balls. 

A brilliant move by skipper Pandya. A leading edge goes to the third man and Umran Malik is safe as houses. A simple catch taken by the Indian pacer and Kusal Mendis departs. Kusal Mendis c Umran Malik b Axar 23(15). Sri Lanka need 185 runs in 91 balls.  

After being welcomed with a boundary on the first ball of his over, pacer Shivam Mavi made a brilliant comeback. He leaks 6 runs in his first over. Axar Patel has been brought into the attack in the powerplay. SL 37/0 after 4 overs. 

Tasked to chase down the gigantic total, openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis are keen on leading the batting charge of the visitors in the powerplay. Hardik Pandya has conceded 20 runs in his first 2 overs. Youngster Shivam Mavi has been brought into the attack by the hosts. SL 31-0 after 3 overs. 

Speed merchant Arshdeep Singh had a forgetful outing in the 2nd T20I against Sri Lanka. Arshdeep’s costly spell paved the way for Sri Lanka to level the series 1-1 in Pune. Bowling the second over of the ongoing contest at Rajkot, pacer Arshdeep was welcomed with a boundary by Sri Lanka opener Nissanka. Arshdeep then bowled two wides and leaked a total of 11 runs in his first over. SL 17-0 after 2 overs. 

Opening the proceedings for India, captain Hardik Pandya thought he dismissed Pathum Nissanka on the first ball of the Sri Lankan innings. However, a successful review from Sri Lanka has forced umpire Nitin Menon to change his decision. Kusal Mendis gets a boundary on the fourth ball after Pandya bowled a wide. Six runs from the 1st over. SL 6-0 after 1 over. 

“I’m really happy with the way the innings went. Captain winning the toss and batting first showed faith in the batters, few shots are pre-determined, but these are the shots I’ve been playing over the last year and I’m not doing anything different. ​The 2022 form is gone, it’s a fresh start in 2023 and I hope to continue doing well. It’s a good pitch, nice bounce and a lush outfield,” said Suryakumar, who scored his 3rd T20I ton in the series decider at Rajkot. 

A batting masterclass from Suryakumar Yadav as Hardik Pandya-led Team India registers a massive total in the third and final T20I of the bilateral series at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium. On-song Yadav remained unbeaten on 112 (51) while Axar Patel chipped in with a crucial 21 off 9 balls in the series decider at Rajkot. Sri Lanka need 229 runs in 20 overs to win the 3rd T20I and series at Rajkot. 

Suryakumar Yadav has smashed the second-fastest century in the shortest format of the game. The premier batter is also the first non-opening batter to score as many as three T20I centuries for Team India. IND 216-5 after 19 overs. 

Suryakumar Yadav takes a single on the final ball of the 18th over. And with that, 200 comes up for India with 12 balls left in the contest. Yadav will take the strike in the next over. He is 1 run away from a sublime ton. 

OUT! Another one bites the dust. Middle-order batter Hooda has been dismissed by Madushanka in the 17th over. Hooda c Hasaranga b Madushanka 4(2). Axar Patel has joined Suryakumar Yadav, who is five runs short of an incredible century. Sixteen runs leaked by Madushanka. IND 194-5 after 17 overs. 

Captain Hardik Pandya, who tried to up the ante in the death overs, has been removed by Dhananjaya b Rajitha in the 16th over. Suryakumar is on verge of scoring a century. He moves to 84 off 37 balls. IND 178-4 after 16 overs.

Knocked him over! Spin wizard Hasaranga brings out his signature celebration as Opener Gill departs in the 15th over. The Indian opener misses out on his first T20I half-century at Rajkot. All eyes are on captain Hardik Pandya, who joins SKY at the crease. Shubman Gill b Hasaranga 46(36). IND 164-3 after 15 overs.

It has been a batting exhibition! Take a bow Suryakumar Yadav. The middle-order batter completes another match-changing 50 for the Men In Blue. A total of 18 runs scored by the Indian batters in the 13th over. IND 131-2 after 13 overs. Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana has been brought back into the attack. 

Star batters Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav have laid the foundation for a challenging total in the 3rd T20I at Rajkot. After Tripathi’s dismissal, Gill and SKY have stitched a 68-run stand off just 39 balls. Hasaranga leaks 9 runs in the 12th over. IND 113-2 after 12 overs. 

Suryakumar Yadav has made a huge difference with the bat in the series decider. The on-song batter scored a four and a six off Karunaratne in the 11th over. The premier batter is on verge of registering another sublime half-century. Suryakumar moves to 36 off 20 balls. IND 104-2 after 11 overs. Hasaranga will bowl the next over! 

“Through your bat, there’s plenty of batting left,” Sunil Gavaskar says on air as the batting legend wants opener Gill to change gears. After making a slow start, Gill has managed to score 28 off 27 balls. Suryakumar on the other is unbeaten on 25 off just 15 balls. India will aim to finish strong in the last 10 overs. IND 92-2 after 10 overs. 

An on-song Suryakumar moves to 20 off 11 balls. The Indian batter played a fine shot to earn a boundary on the penultimate ball of the over. He takes a single to keep the strike. Hasaranga leaks 8 runs in his 2nd over. IND 85-2 after 9 overs. 

Premier batter Suryakumar Yadav smashed a four and a six in the first two balls of the 8th over bowled by Karunaratne. Back-to-back three singles taken by the Indian batters to end the over. Karunaratne leaks 14 runs in his 2nd over. IND 77-2 after 8 overs. 

Opener Shubman Gill is a man on a mission. The Indian opener hammered a handsome 81m six to end the 7th over bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga. Star spinner Hasaranga has leaked 10 runs in his 1st over. Gill moves to 22 off 21 balls. IND 63-2 after 7 overs.

OUT! Tripathi gives away his wicket as he fails to outfox Madushanka, who was safe as houses while completing the dismissal. Since the third man was in, Tripathi was hoping to guide the ball for a smart boundary. Tripathi had hammered two sixes in the same over. Karunaratne has recovered well with the big wicket of Tripathi, who departs for 35 off 16 balls. Premier batter Suryakumar Yadav has joined opener Gill at the crease. IND 53-2 after 6 overs. 

Another expensive over! Tripathi CREAMED three boundaries in the 5th over bowled by Maheesh Theekshana. Gill and Tripathi are keen on ending the powerplay in India’s favour after Kishan’s departure. Tripathi moves to 23 off just 13 balls. IND 39-1 after 5 overs. 

Gill and Tripathi have made a cautious start in the Powerplay. Kasun Rajitha leaks 5 runs in the 2nd over as Team India reaches 27-1 in 4 overs. A 24-run partnership stitched by the Indian do after opener Kishan was removed for cheap in the 1st over. Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana has been roped into the attack. 

Opener Gill has decided to up the ante as the Indian opener smashes Madushanka for a four and six to end the 3rd over. Gill moves to 10 off 11 balls. Fifteen runs off the over! IND 22-1 after 3 overs. Rajitha, who bowled the first-ever maiden over of the series, will continue to lead the bowling attack in the powerplay. 

Pressure is on Team India batters as Kasun Rajitha has bowled a maiden over. Indian opener Shubman Gill, who is yet to make his presence felt in the series, has failed to open his account in the first 8 deliveries. Tripathi, who joined Gill after Kishan’s dismissal, is unbeaten on 4 off 2 balls. IND 7-1 after 2 overs. 

OUT! Ishan Kishan departs on the third ball as Sri Lanka draw first blood. Kishan was stunned by the delivery which nipped away from the left-handed batter. Sharp catch is taken from Dhananjaya. Ishan Kishan c Dhananjaya b Madushanka 1(2) and India have lost its first wicket inside the 1st over. Rahul Tripathi has joined Gill at the crease. India 7-1 after 1 over. 

The match is underway at Rajkot! Opener Ishan Kishan gets Team India off the mark after Sri Lanka’s Dilshan Madushanka leaks the first extra of the match with a wide. Opener Shubman Gill returns the favour by taking a single on the next ball.  

Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka scored a quick-fire 37 off 19 balls in the 2nd T20I against India. Asalanka and Shanaka’s (56) crucial knocks secured Sri Lanka’s 16-run win over India in the series decider at Pune. Speaking ahead of the match, the Sri Lankan batter backed himself to win more matches for the Asia Cup winners. 

“I think I can do a little more, according to my potential. When I’m doing well, I can win more matches for my country, that’s the happiest thing for my life. Cover drive over extra cover – that’s my favourite shot. So far I haven’t played that shot in this tour, looking forward to play that shot. In the past, it was hard but now I find a bit of rhythm batting at four/five and now I’m comfortable to bat at that position. That’s the main thing as a team – we are just focusing on winning the series, winning a bilateral in India. We have a good chance and boys are ready,” Sri Lanka’s Asalanka said ahead of the match. 

No place for Bhanuka Rajapaksa! Sri Lanka have decided to part ways with the power-hitter for the 3rd T20I. Rajapaksa has been replaced by Avishka Fernando as Dasun Shanaka confirmed the single change made by Sri Lanka for the 3rd T20I. “We would have batted first as well. We wanted to set the tone upfront. We will approach the same way in this game – one change for us, Avishka Fernando replaces Bhanuka Rajapaksa,” Shanaka said. 

Sri Lanka’s playing XI for 3rd T20I vs India: 

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Avishka Fernando, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka(c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka. 

All eyes are now on pacer Arshdeep Singh and skipper Hardik Pandya as the Men In Blue are aiming for another series win over Sri Lanka at Rajkot. After winning the toss, skipper Pandya confirmed that India have made no changes to its playing XI after a defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in Pune. 

A quick look at India’s playing XI for 3rd T20I:

Ishan Kishan(w), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul Tripathi, Hardik Pandya(c), Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Shivam Mavi, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya has won the toss and hosts India have elected to bat first. After winning the toss, Pandya confirmed that India are unchanged for the series decider. “We’ll bat first. Looks like a good track, the last time we played here, the ball did a bit, we might get more swing in the night. I don’t drag things, we just need to focus on playing good cricket in this game. We were not at our best in the last game, but we still stretched the match. No changes for us,” Pandya said. 

Did you know? Spin wizard Yuzvendra Chahal only needs to take three more wickets to surpass senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to become the highest wicket-taker for Team India in the shortest format of the game. Spin wizard Chahal has taken 88 wickets while pace ace Bhuvneshwar is the leading wicket-taker with 90 dismissals under his belt. Stay tuned because the toss update is coming up next!

Another high-scoring contest on cards? Will Rajkot live up to expectations by producing another run-fest at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium? A quick look at the pitch report by former cricketers Deep Dasgupta and Kumar Sangakkara from the match venue.

“It’s a bigger sized venue here in Rajkot – 66m and 65 m square boundaries, large sized pockets and a 76m straight boundary. There is a greenish tinge of grass, but that will only allow the ball to come onto the bat nicely. There is a bit of tackiness and the side winning the toss might want to bowl first. It’s a good pitch, but don’t think it is a high scoring ground nor is it bouncy and pacy, dew might not be a factor,” the Indo-Sri Lankan duo explained on Star Sports. 

Rahul Tripathi received his debut cap for the 2nd T20I against Sri Lanka at Pune. The 31-year-old joined Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in a special club as the star batter became the third oldest player to make his T20I debut for India in men’s cricket. Speaking ahead of the 3rd T20I, Tripathi recalled playing his first T20I match for the Men In Blue. 

“It was a very special moment for me, representing your country is the ultimate goal for any cricketer and I was obviously very happy (on my debut). Wanted to contribute more, but nevertheless it was a great moment. I just play according to the moment and according to what the bowler bowls, I don’t do it intentionally, it just happens (on looking fidgety). It’s a good challenge to play a series decider, the plan is to go out, execute our best skills and win the game,” Tripathi said. 

Making a forgetful return to the T20I side in Pune, pacer Arshdeep Singh created an unwanted record with a bizarre hat-trick of no-balls. Speed merchant Arshdeep became the first Indian bowler to bowl a hat-trick of no balls in the shortest format of the game. A rusty Arshdeep bowled as many as five no-balls in two overs at Pune.

In the lead-up to the 3rd T20I between India and Sri Lanka, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed the All-India Senior Men Selection Committee appointments. The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) has recommended Chetan Sharma, Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee, Salil Ankola, and Sridharan Sharath for the Senior Men’s National Selection Committee. 

Speaking ahead of the blockbuster series decider between India and the Islanders, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid admitted that Sri Lanka have got a pretty experienced T20I side in three-match series. India are without seasoned campaigners Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. 

“From the World Cup, they haven’t made too many changes to their playing XI. They’ve got some class players. They’ve got a couple of very good spinners, they have got power-hitters at the backend of the game. I think Dasun Shanaka is playing really well. They might have had some tough periods but certainly they are not a side you would take lightly at any stage,” Dravid said. 

Thanks to Dasun Shanaka’s match-winning performance in the 2nd T20I, the visitors secured a morale-boosting win over India to level the series 1-1 at Pune. Sri Lanka can replace superstar Bhanuka Rajapaksa with Sadeera Samarawickrama in the 3rd T20I against India. Power-hitter Rajapaksa has registered mediocre scores of 10 (1st T20I) and 2 (2nd T20I) in the three-match series against Team India.

Sri Lanka’s likely playing XI for 3rd T20I: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama/Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka.

Even though Team India lost the high-scoring contest at the hands of Sri Lanka in Pune, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid hinted that the hoists are unlikely to make many changes in their playing XI for the series decider at Rajkot. Thus, India are expected to name an unchanged playing XI for the upcoming encounter against Sri Lanka.

India’s likely playing XI for the 3rd T20I: 

Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (captain), Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Shivam Mavi, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal. 

Rajkot’s Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium is fondly known for producing high-scoring contests across all formats. Out of the previous four T20I at the venue, teams who have batted first have won two games while the other two games have been won by the teams bowling first.

Hardik Pandya-led Team India will hope to bounce back after suffering a defeat in the 2nd T20I against Sri Lanka. India are hoping to extend its 11-series unbeaten run at home in Rajkot. Can Rohit Sharma-less India secure another famous series win under the leadership of all-rounder Pandya at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium?