India won the first match by two runs, and it is reasonable to assume that the squad would like to improve their performance. The team’s hitting struggled in the first match, and the hitters would like to improve. Shivam Mavi bowled brilliantly in the previous match, and all eyes will be on him again.

Sri Lanka fought hard against the Indian squad in Mumbai, and they will aim to go one step further in Pune. This team’s bowling appears to be excellent, and if the hitters can back them up, they have the potential to turn their fortunes around.

2nd T20 Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium Pitch Report

Batters have always enjoyed the track at Pune’s MCA Stadium. At the venue, a black earth surface with an uniform amount of bounce will be employed. There are no obvious demons on this track, and the batters will enjoy their time in the middle.

Because this is a wide field, the breeze will help the pacers with the new ball. In the middle-overs, the spinners will benefit from some traction from the dark earth. Pune last held a T20I match in 2020, although it hosted 13 IPL 2022 matches, with the average first innings score of 171 runs, proving that batting is simple here.

The boundaries are relatively tiny here, and hitters may easily clear the fences, and the speedy outfield will also help them. It’s worth noting that ten of the thirteen IPL 2022 games were won by teams batting first, but the captains may decide to pursue in this encounter.

MATCH DETAILS

• Match: IND vs SL, 2nd T20I, Sri Lanka tour of India, 2023
• Date: Thursday, January 05, 2023
• Time: 7:00 PM
• Venue: Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune

Probable Playing XI

India:

• Ishan Kishan(w)
• Shubman Gill
• Suryakumar Yadav
• Sanju Samson
• Hardik Pandya(c)
• Deepak Hooda
• Axar Patel
• Harshal Patel
• Shivam Mavi
• Umran Malik
• Yuzvendra Chahal

Sri Lanka:

• Pathum Nissanka
• Kusal Mendis(w)
• Dhananjaya de Silva
• Charith Asalanka
• Bhanuka Rajapaksa
• Dasun Shanaka(c)
• Wanindu Hasaranga
• Chamika Karunaratne
• Maheesh Theekshana
• Kasun Rajitha
• Dilshan Madushanka

Where to watch

The whole Sri Lanka tour will be televised live on Star Sports Network stations, with live streaming accessible on the Disney+Hotstar app, since Star Sports has exclusive rights to broadcast Team India’s home events. DD Sports broadcasts live matches between India and Sri Lanka.