IND vs SL: Sri Lankan team departs for India tour

India are set to host Sri Lanka for six white-ball matches starting from January 3 in Mumbai. The Sri Lankan team, led by Dasun Shanaka, has left SLC HQ in Colombo on Saturday (December 31). Sri Lanka Cricket shared the update with some photos of the team leaving for India on their official Twitter page. 

"Sri Lanka limited over squad led by Dasun Shanaka left the SLC HQ premises short while ago to embark on their tour to India," Sri Lanka Cricket wrote in their post. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka ended 2022 with T20 Asia Cup trophy but failed to reach the semi-finals of T20 World Cup. In their last bilateral series of the year, they hosted Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series and drew it 1-1. 

Sri Lanka limited over squad led by Dasun Shanaka left the SLC HQ premises short while ago to embark on their tour to India.🛫 #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/qqzbE2d2kA

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) December 31, 2022

Dinesh Chandimal, Asitha Fernando and Dhananjaya Lakshan, who were a part of the Afghanistan series, have been excluded from the India tour. Chandimal's absence comes as surprise as he enjoyed the Lanka Premier League 2022 with runners-up Colombo Stars and was the third-highest leading run-scorer in the tournament.

Avishka Fernando and Chamika Karunaratne have been named in the squad after missing the Afghanistan series. Karunaratne was in good form in LPL 2022 with Kandy Falcons and is part of both ODIs and the T20I squad. 

The two teams will play three T20Is on January 3, 5 and 7 in Mumbai, Pune and Rajkot respectively before the three-match ODI series starts in Guwahati on January 10. The final two games will be played on January 12 and 15 in Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram respectively.

Sri Lanka Squad for India T20Is:

Dasun Shanaka (Captain), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga (VC), Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara

Sri Lanka Squad for India ODIs:

Dasun Shanaka (C), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis (VC), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha, Nuwanidu Fernando, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Lahiru Kumara