India Vs Sri Lanka: Three Talking Points From The 1st T20I As Hosts Seal Victory

India’s leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal produced yet another splendid performance with the ball after helping the side thrash Sri Lanka by a whopping 93 runs in the first T20I at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
On a splendid night for the hosts, everything seemed to click for Rohit Sharma-led team as the rest of the bowlers stood tall to help Chahal in the menace. Chasing 181 for victory, the Lankans were shut out for a paltry 87 runs in just 16 overs. Chahal was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets as KL Rahul let his bat do the talking with a splendid 61.
India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and with a new-look side at bay that bears a lot of fresh faces, this will be be a sweet performance to please the management. India notched their biggest win in T20Is in terms of runs surpassing their previous best win of 90 runs against England at Colombo in 2012. India had everything according to the plan from putting up a big score and then bowling excellently.
Hardik Pandya once again lived up to the billing as Kuldeep Yadav had a stellar return with two wickets and 18 runs from four overs. This was Sri Lanka’s 6th consecutive loss in T20Is and they need a miracle from here on to comeback and beat an in-form Indian side at home.
Here are the three most vital talking points from India’s superb win in Cuttack.
Rising star Chahal breaks record: Wrist spinner Chahal has now become the highest wicket-taker in the shortest format in this year, going past Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and Kesrick Williams from the West Indies, who are joint-second with 17 scalps. Chahal’s 4/23 in four overs won the game for India as his intelligence was too hot for Lankans to handle. Moreover, his partnership with Kuldeep Yadav was another bright aspect. Kuldeep scalped two wickets and both the wrist spinners showed that they are here to stay in the limited overs segment for India. The duo have excelled with 78 wickets between them since they got into the T20I and ODI fold. Chahal made his debut in 2016 as Kuldeep got into the limited overs fray earlier this year.
MS Dhoni packs a punch: Former Indian legendary skipper Dhoni was instrumental for the team once again as he highlighted his intelligence in the middle order once again. Dhoni scored an unbeaten 39 runs from just 22 deliveries and hit 4 fours and a six. Dhoni delivered a trademark innings once again and lit up India’s way to 180 runs. The most vital factor of his innings was the unbeaten 62-run partnership with Manish Pandey. The duo ran well between the wickets and Dhoni’s calmness helped Pandey deliver a sucker punch with a 32-run knock. Dhoni’s coming in at No. 4 was a wise decision by the management and the veteran keeper finished the innings with a trademark six. He also accounted for four dismissals behind the stumps.
KL Rahul lays solid platform: A lot of eyes was on the opener and after missing out on the ODIs, the Karnataka batsman was in no mood to throw his wicket away. His 61 runs was a priceless knock atop as he laid the foundation for the others to come in and cash on. Rahul played an innings that we normally see Rohit Sharma play and he took his time in the middle. Rahul notched his 61 runs off 48 deliveries that comprised 7 fours and a six. The innings will give Rahul a lot of confidence going into the remaining two games of the 3-match series.