The T20I series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka started off with a bang with the first match won by the visitors in Super Over. Sri Lanka, after batting first, scored a mammoth total of 196 on the board, thanks to the fireworks from Charith Asalanka.
In reply, the home side reached the total with a six from Ish Sodhi on the last delivery when 7 were required off the final ball. The Super Over was never in favour of the Blackcaps as they could only score 8 runs, however, the Lankans won the battle on the third delivery to take a lead in the series.
Now, with the second game going to take place in Dunedin on April 5, the pressure would be on New Zealand to come back in the series whereas the Lions would want to seal the series here only.
Let us take a look at the preview and prediction of the match:
What have they done so far?
Sri Lanka’s tour to New Zealand has not been good so far with the visitors facing a defeat in both the Test series as well as the ODI series. They were whitewashed in the Test series 0-2 followed by another 2-0 loss in the ODIs in a three-match series with one match abandoned due to rain.
Now, Dasun Shanaka & Co. can’t afford to lose from here after a terrible outing. If they could win this match, they would be pleased with their performance at the end. The team has to perform the same way they played the first T20I with similar intent and confidence.
On the other hand, New Zealand has had a good tour to date, however, the loss in the previous battle has left the side disappointed. It’s time for the Kiwis to make a strong comeback from here and level the series with the final match to be played in Queenstown.
Head to Head Record
The head-to-head record between the two has been almost equal with New Zealand winning 11 times out of 21 matches whereas Sri Lanka became victorious on 9 occasions. Moreover, one match ended with no result.
As per the record, both sides are capable of winning this series at any point and if Sri Lanka could do this, this will be their tenth T20I victory against the finalists of the 2019 World Cup.
Key Players
Dasun Shanaka: The skipper has been top-notch so far for his side and has helped them come out of the bad patch of the team. In the first T20I, Shanaka couldn’t score with the bat but took two crucial wickets, Daryl Mitchel and Rachin Ravindra. The batting all-rounder would now look for a victory in the next game to cSri Lanka won the 1st T20I in the Super Overreate history on the Kiwi turf.
Shanaka, the powerful hitter, has to perform with the bat this time to help his team beat Latham & Co. The 31-year-old has played some remarkable T20 knocks in the past, including a sensational knock against Australia last year that helped Lanka beat the Kangaroos at home. Shanaka would be key for his team in the 2nd T20I in Dunedin.
Daryl Mitchell: After an exceptional knock in the first match that went in vain, Mitchell would like to turn the result this time with another innings. He scored a vital 66 for his country but some exceptional show from Sri Lanka kept his innings under the shadows.
Daryl Mitchell scored 66 runs for New Zealand in the first T20I against Sri Lanka
Mitchell has been a wonderful T20 player who likes to play big shots. With the kind of knock he played in the first encounter, Mitchell would be confident of repeating the feat in the upcoming games. No one apart from him was exceptional with the bat and the right-hander has to take charge in the next game to level the series.
Predicted XIs
New Zealand: Chad Bowes, Tim Seifert, Tom Latham ©, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Adam Milne, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Ben Lister
Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka ©, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan
Prediction
New Zealand has played some splendid cricket in the series with victories in both the Test and the ODI series. However, they suffered a defeat in the first match even after giving it all. Being a home side, the Blackcaps will be having an edge over Sri Lanka in the next game.
On the other hand, the way Sri Lanka has performed in the 1st T20I, one cannot neglect the side as they are capable of winning the series if some extraordinary display comes into place.