R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Jan 16, 7PM – In a strategic move, Sri Lanka introduced star left-arm bowler Dilshan Madushanka into their bowling attack, replacing the slinger Nuwan Thushara from the last game. Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza invited Sri Lanka to bat first in the second Twenty20 match of the three-game series at the R Premadasa Stadium.
In the first game, Sri Lanka experienced a close encounter, securing a three-wicket win in a thrilling last-ball finish. Eager to approach the second match with a positive mindset, Sri Lanka aimed to apply pressure on the Zimbabwe lineup, led by Sikandar Raza and featuring pacemen Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani, who posed challenges for Sri Lankan batters in the previous game.
Wanindu Hasaranga, the Sri Lankan captain, expressed that even if he had won the toss, he would have chosen to bat first. He emphasized the need for his batters to take more responsibility in the upcoming game.
On the condition of the pitch, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza noted that it doesn’t appear too hard or dry. Instead, he mentioned that it looks a bit two-paced and anticipates it will become more favorable for batting as the game progresses.
Zimbabwe maintained an unchanged lineup from the previous game, aiming to replicate the thrilling performance that took the match down to the wire in the first encounter. The stage is set for another exciting clash between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in the ongoing T20 series at the R Premadasa Stadium.
Sri Lanka XI:
1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga (c), 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Dilshan Madushanka.
Zimbabwe XI:
1 Craig Ervine, 2 Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, 3 Brian Bennett, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Sikandar Raza (c), 6 Ryan Burl, 7 Clive Madande (wk), 8 Luke Jongwe, 9 Wellington Masakadza, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Richard Ngarava.
