India Begin T20 World Cup 2026 Preparations as Sri Lanka Bat First in Series Opener

Fresh from their triumph as ODI world champions, India returned to international action by opting to bowl first against Sri Lanka in the opening match of the five-match T20I series in Visakhapatnam. Played on a chilly evening with temperatures expected to dip further, the contest marked the beginning of India’s build-up to the T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled for June, following their group-stage exit in the 2024 edition.

Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur cited dew as a decisive factor behind the decision to field first. “Dew will play a huge role,” she said at the toss. India named a balanced XI featuring three seamers, including allrounders Amanjot Kaur and Arundhati Reddy, along with Kranti Gaud, who was preferred over Renuka Singh.

The match also saw a debut for 19-year-old left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who received her maiden India cap from Harmanpreet. Jemimah Rodrigues, the Player of the Match in the ODI World Cup semi-final, was slotted in at No. 3 ahead of Harleen Deol, while N Shree Charani completed the playing XI.

Sri Lanka, captained by Chamari Athapaththu, went in with a combination of two seamers and three specialist spinners, with Athapaththu herself providing an additional offspin option. One of the highlights of the visitors’ XI was the inclusion of 17-year-old Shashini Gimhani, an ambidextrous wristspinner, who was named in the side for the series opener.

The Sri Lankan team is touring India for a bilateral T20I series for the first time since February 2016. They are, however, without experienced wicketkeeper-batter Anushka Sanjeewani, with young Kaushani Nuthyangana taking over the gloves for the tour.

Playing XIs

India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, N Shree Charani

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Kaushani Nuthyangana (wk), Inoka Ranaweera, Malki Madara, Kawya Kavindi, Shashini Gimhani