India vs Sri Lanka 2nd T20I today, 4 Indian players to watch out for

India won the first T20I match against Sri Lanka in a last-ball thriller by just 2 runs to take 1-0 lead in the 3-match series. The team that boasted the likes of debutant Shivam Mavi, pacer Umran Malik, allrounder Deepak Hooda and captain Hardik Pandya had to fight really hard to get the victory against a good Sri Lankan side. 

The young Indian team that is testing its squad without senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami would like to continue to keep its spirits high after a thrilling win in the first match.

Now, the Men in Blue would look to seize the series with a win in the second T20I. In the second fixture at Maharashtra Cricket Stadium Association, all eyes will be on certain players who can be key for India.

Here are 4 such players:

1. Umran Malik: The young Jammu pacer who was on the bench for quite some time, is finally getting the opportunity and he is leaving no stone unturned to prove his bowling prowess. Umran scalped 2 wickets in the last match dismissing Charith Asalanka and captain Dasun Shanaka in quick succession.

His economy of 6.75 runs per over in his spell of four overs and he restricted the Sri Lankan batters from going for big hits. Malik will also be watched keenly to accommodate him in the pace attack in order to strengthen the bowling attack of the Indian team.

2. Shivam Mavi: The debutant Shivam Mavi stunned everyone with his amazing performance in the first match. On his international debut, Mavi got 4 wickets in his spell dismissing the top order batters like Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva. Mavi surpassed all expectations with his pace and his economy at 5.50 runs per over was even better than Umran Malik.

3. Ishan Kishan: In the first match, Kishan scored 37 off 29 balls which gave a good start to the team. With a strike-rate of 127 in T20I cricket, Ishan is an explosive top-order hitter, and has fixed his place in the team. His recent knock of 210 runs against Bangladesh in an ODI has proven the class the batter has.

The 24-year-old is also one of the most expensive buys of IPL team Mumbai Indians. 

4. Shubman Gill: After Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill is another special batsman in the team. The right-handed batter who showed his batting prowess as an opener with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is yet to prove himself in the T20 internationals. He holds a spot in the ODI and Test teams.

With a strike rate of 128.74 in the T20I cricket, Gill is undoubtedly a three-dimensional player and this makes him a strong contender for the ODI World Cup squad.

The match will start at 7pm (IST) and will broadcast on Star Sports Network and will digitally stream on Disney+Hotstar..