India v Sri Lanka, 1st T20I - India Player Ratings

After a remarkable turnaround in the ODI series, the spirits of team India were high as they entered the 3-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. However, the look of the men in blue had changed big time. The Indian side looked depleted on paper with several big names missing from the game. This, in essence, was a two edged sword as the young guns had the ideal opportunity to step up to the occasion and performed.

They managed to do exactly that as the action unfolded in the game. For the visitors, the format changed but the fortune did not. They failed to compete in any department in the match. They asked the Indian side to bat first. India responded in fine fashion with KL Rahul scoring a fifty. The MS Dhoni and Manish Pandey partnership set the stage for a total of 180 for the hosts.

In response, Sri Lanka crashed like ten pins. Needless to say, it was a thorough team effort from the Indian team. Some exceptional bowling by the spinners of team India saw Sri Lanka bundling out for a paltry 87 to concede a 93 run win to the hosts. India now lead the 3-match series 1-0.

Here are the India Player Ratings for the Cuttack T20I:

Rohit Sharma – 4/10

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma started off on a positive note. He hit two boundaries first up to get in to the right groove. However, he failed to capitalize on the start that he got and ended up holing on to the mid off fielder. In an attempt to clear the inner ring, Rohit ended up hitting the top edge of the bat off the bowling of Angelo Mathews.

He could only score 13 in the match. With the captaincy hat, he was spot on with his bowling changes and kept the opposition thinking all the time.

KL Rahul – 9/10

KL Rahul made a comeback to the team in the shortest format of the game. Rahul, who has a T20I century to his name, played the anchor role in the Indian innings. He took his initial bit of time to settle in. Once he found his feet moving, he started playing his shots freely. He scored 61 off just 48 balls with 7 fours and a six to his name. He perished in the 15th over of the innings in an attempt to accelerate even more.

Shreyas Iyer – 5/10

Young Mumbai batsman Shreyas Iyer has made a reputation for himself in such a short span of time. After his gutsy show with the bat in the recently concluded ODI series, he had the onus on him to continue his good form. The way he started off gave positive outlook. However, he failed to keep the run flow going. He could only muster 24 off 20 deliveries during his stay at the crease.

Manish Pandey – 8/10

It has been a frustrating time for Manish Pandey. Over the last few international assignments, he has been in the Indian side but has not got his chances owing to his batting position lower down the order. In this game, he found himself batting at number 5.

Pandey made the most out of the opportunity that beckoned his way. Arriving at the crease in the 15th over, Pandey announced himself in style with a six and a four. He finished with an unbeaten 32 off just 18 deliveries with two fours and as many number of sixes.

MS Dhoni – 9/10

Veteran batsman MS Dhoni showed his class yet again. He proved why he is revered as one of the greatest finishers. Dhoni hit an unbeaten 39 off just 22 balls with four boundaries and one maximum. En route his quickfire cameo, he added 68 runs for the fourth wicket with Manish Pandey.

The unbeaten stand helped India post a total of 180 on the board. Dhoni hit a six on the last ball of the innings to finish things off in style. Behind the stumps, he had his task cut out as well. Dhoni was very active on the day with the gloves. He stumped two batsmen and pocketed a catch as well.

Dinesh Karthik – 2/10

Dinesh Karthik was unfortunate to have not received his opportunity with the bat. His services with the bat were largely not needed in the game as the Indian top order aggregated all the runs. On the field, Karthik fared up decently.

Hardik Pandya – 8/10

Many anticipated that Hardik Pandya would be promoted up the order to provide some big hitting in the innings. However, considering his poor run of form, Pandya did not get a chance to bat. He, however, bowled with the new ball on the day. He was not very economical to start off but managed to bag three wickets in his second spell. He ran through the tail to bundle up Sri Lanka on 87. He returned with figures of 3/29 in his quota of four overs.

Jaydev Unadkat – 7/10

Jaydev Unadkat had his second coming to the national side after a long time. His performances in the domestic circuit and the stellar show in the IPL this year earned him a national recall. He had a decent time with the ball in the match. He was very economical with the new ball. In the two overs that he bowled, he gave away only 7 runs and took the wicket of Niroshan Dickwella.

Kuldeep Yadav – 8.5/10

Kuldeep Yadav had a fantastic time with the ball on the night. He bowled immaculate lines to keep things under control for the Indian team. Kuldeep accounted for the wickets of Kusal Perera and Dasun Shanaka. In the complete quota of four overs that he bowled, he gave away only 18 runs and was very economical. He built the pressure and Yuzvendra Chahal bagged wickets from the other end.

Jasprit Bumrah – 4/10

Jasprit Bumrah had an off day at work on the day. Much to his defense, it would actually be harsh to call it an off day. He only got two overs to bowl and his services with the ball in the death overs were not needed since Sri Lanka bundled up earlier than expected. He gave away 10 runs in the two overs that he bowled and went wicketless on the night.

Yuzvendra Chahal – 9.5/10

Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 4/23 on the night. Chahal was unplayable as the opposition batsmen were found wanting against him. Bowling in tandem with Kuldeep Yadav, Chahal kept a strong hold on the run flow as well. MS Dhoni helped him get two of his wickets with some brilliant piece of wicketkeeping. The kind of form Chahal has been in throughout the season, is a big positive for team India.