Virat Kohli is not playing T20 series: India have gained an unassailable lead in a three-match series despite the absence of first-choice players.
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India have gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka. Having won the first two T20Is in Lucknow and Dharamsala, the hosts would be eager to register another victory in Dharamsala to whitewash the visitors 3-0 for the second time in this format.
Currently playing their ninth T20I bilateral series against Sri Lanka, India have won six including three at home. Sri Lanka, who have never won a T20I series in India, will return home without a title this time as well.
While Sri Lanka have played both the T20Is without star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, India have also been without multiple first-choice players namely Virat Kohli, Lokesh Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Chahar. Batter Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was slated to open the batting in Rahul’s absence, also ended up getting ruled out of the series after complaints of wrist pain.
Why Virat Kohli is not playing T20 series vs Sri Lanka?
Rahul, Yadav and Chahar’s absence were majorly because of their individual injuries. Kohli and Pant, on the other hand, had been rested for the third T20I against West Indies in Kolkata and this series.
Been on the road for quite some time in order to represent India across formats, Kohli and Pant will rejoin the Indian squad for a two-match Test series starting from March 4 in Mohali.
Kohli, 33, has played T20Is against 14 nations but averages and strikes the best against Sri Lanka. In six T20I innings against them, Kohli’s 339 runs have come at an average and strike rate of 84.75 and 140.66 respectively including four half-centuries.
India’s second-highest T20I run-scorer against Sri Lanka, Kohli is seventh-highest among all batters behind the likes of David Warner (512), Glenn Maxwell (424), Shoaib Malik (397), Shikhar Dhawan (375), Jos Buttler (357) and Ross Taylor (342).
