Sri Lanka announce playing XI for the first T20I against West Indies; Bhanuka Rajapaksa returns

Sri Lanka has announced their playing XI for the first game of the three-match T20I series against the West Indies, scheduled for Sunday, October 13, at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.

Charith Asalanka will continue to lead the team, while former captain Wanindu Hasaranga makes his return after missing the ODI series against India earlier this year due to a hamstring injury.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who last represented Sri Lanka in a T20I against India in January 2023, returns to the playing XI. The left-hander has played in 37 T20Is, accumulating 678 runs, including three half-centuries. On the bowling front, Asitha Fernando and Matheesha Pathirana will spearhead the pace attack.

Sri Lanka’s playing XI for the first T20I against West Indies: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka (c), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, and Asitha Fernando.

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Sri Lanka lost their most recent T20I series against India

The Sri Lankan team last competed in a T20I series against India, where they hosted three matches. However, their performance fell short of expectations. In the first game, Suryakumar Yadav excelled, scoring 58 runs off 26 balls to help the Men in Blue secure victory.

The second match was interrupted by rain, but India triumphed by seven wickets under the DLS method. Fans were treated to a thrilling conclusion in the final match, which went to a Super Over, where the visitors clinched victory, completing a clean sweep against Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka won the ODI series against India and has been performing well since then. They put up a strong fight in the away Test series against England, losing 2-1. Additionally, they completed a clean sweep against New Zealand in a two-match Test series at home. The hosts will be eager to translate their success in red-ball cricket to the white-ball format.