India clinched a convincing 91-run triumph over Sri Lanka in the final T20I to win the three-match series 2-1 on Saturday. This was the first time the two teams met each other since their Asia Cup encounter last year. India had suffered a heart-breaking Asia Cup exit after they were defeated by the Lankans in the Super 12 fixture. But months later, the Hardik Pandya-led side finally managed to get the better of the reigning Asian champions.
Former India all-rounder Reetinder Singh Sodhi recently opined on India’s performance in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. Sodhi believes that the current Indian side is undoubtedly better than Sri Lanka.
“The opposition teams are clueless when Suryakumar Yadav is on song. This is what we expect from him. Our top-order batters struggled in the first two T20Is, and their fluency was lacking in our batting. But it all changed in this match, with Suryakumar and Shubman Gill firing on all cylinders. India are no doubt better than Sri Lanka. We were not up to the mark in the first two games, but on this occasion, we completely outplayed them,” Sodhi told India News Sports on Saturday.
India, under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, kicked off the T20I series on a promising note after securing a thrilling two-run victory in the opening fixture at the Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai. The visitors scripted a prompt comeback in the next game to level the series 1-1. However, the Dasun Shanaka-led side could not carry forward the winning momentum.
India’s dynamic batter Surykumar Yadav scored a sublime century in the final match to guide the hosts to a 2-1 series win. The Mumbai-born batter, with three T20I tons under his belt, is now just the second Indian to score more than two centuries in this format. Moreover, the 32-year-old became the second-fastest Indian to claim a century in T20Is.
Suryakumar Yadav pulled off a remarkable unbeaten knock of 112 off just 51 deliveries as India posted a huge total of 228 in the third T20I. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh scalped three wickets in the match to bundle out Sri Lanka for just 137. The series victory also helped India in extending their unbeaten streak in T20I bilaterals at home to a whopping 11 series.
After the completion of the T20I series, India and Sri Lanka will feature in three-match ODIs. The opening ODI is scheduled to be played at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday.
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