India vs Sri Lanka Man of the Match today: Who was awarded Man of the Match in IND vs SL 1st T20I in Lucknow?

India vs Sri Lanka Man of the Match today: His 111-run partnership alongside Rohit Sharma earned the Southpaw the ‘Man of the match’ award.

During the first T20I of the ongoing Sri Lanka’s tour of India in Lucknow, team India registered a thumping 62-run victory against their Asian rivals, to go 1-0 up in the three-match T20I series.

Chasing a mammoth score of 199/2 after their skipper Dasun Shanaka opted to field first, Sri Lanka got off to a poor start after India’s experienced pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck twice in his first two Overs to send both the openers- in form Pathum Nissanka (o off 1) and Kamil Mishara (13 off 12) back in the pavilion.

In no time, with the Indian bowlers cutting off the boundaries, Sri Lanka were reduced to 57/4 at the 10-Over mark to find themselves staring at a comprehensive loss with the required run-rate skyrocketing with every passing Over.

Bowling all-rounder Charith Asalanka was the lone sparkling light in the batting order, but all his 47-ball 53 could do was delay the time and margin of his team’s loss.

India vs Sri Lanka Man of the Match today

Earlier, unlike the Sri Lankan innings, the Indian opening batting pair of skipper Rohit Sharma (44 off 32) and Southpaw Ishan Kishan laid the perfect foundation for a massive total, with a blistering 111-run partnership upfront.

Ishan Kishan, after a humbling series against West Indies, was back with his usual free-flowing style of batting as he smashed his half-century in mere 30 deliveries. His innings finally ended at the score of 89 off 56 deliveries, but not before he had struck 10 Fours and 3 Sixes to puncture the spirits of the Sri Lankan bowlers.

Kishan was ultimately adjudged the ‘Player of the Match’ for his match-winning knock.

“I got to learn a lot from the last few matches. My intent wasn’t great but here I tried to keep it simple. I think pull is my favourite shot and I was actually waiting for the ball to play that shot. Bigger boundaries is good thing as we get lots of gaps. My plan was to middle the ball towards midwicket and it went my way”, exclaimed Ishan Kishan post winning the award.

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