India Faces Sri Lanka In 1st T20I: Pallekele Stadium's Pitch Report And Weather Outlook

India will face Sri Lanka in the first T20I of a three-match series at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, July 27. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST.

"A bit of rain around, but it's hot and muggy right now. This pitch looks dry, it's hard with an even covering of grass, but this should be on the slightly slower side. 275-280 should be a good score," Farveez Maharoof said ahead of the last international match here between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan February 14, 2024.

The previous T20 match at this venue was during the Lanka Premier League 2024. Galle Marvels posted 179 runs after being asked to bat first by Colombo Strikers. Leg-spinner Shadab Khan took four wickets for 21 runs in his four overs.

In response, Colombo Strikers managed to score 172/9, falling short by seven runs. Galle spinners claimed five wickets in that game. The average total in the last five T20 matches here is 163, with teams opting to bat first 83 percent of the time after winning the toss.

No rain is expected in Harare on Sunday, July 14. The weather forecast predicts sunny conditions with a humidity level of 29 percent and temperatures around 26 degrees Celsius. Wind speeds are anticipated to be close to 11 km/h at the venue.

How to Watch IND vs SL 1st T20I?

Fans can watch India vs Sri Lanka's first T20I live on SonyLiv app and website. Sony Sports Network will broadcast the match live on TV starting from 7:00 PM IST.

Which TV Channel Will Show IND vs SL 1st T20I?

TV viewers can catch the action on Sony Sports Network channels - Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi) SD and HD, Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil or Telugu), and Sony Sports Ten 5 SD and HD.

This match marks a new chapter for Indian cricket as Suryakumar Yadav takes over as permanent captain for the first time. Gautam Gambhir will also begin his role as head coach of the Men in Blue.

Sri Lanka will be led by their new captain Charith Asalanka. They have faced some injury setbacks with pacers Nuwan Thushara and Dushmantha Chameera being replaced by Dilshan Madushanka and Asitha Fernando respectively.

In a recent ODI at Pallekele, Afghanistan were bowled out for 266 runs in 48.2 overs after choosing to bat first against Sri Lanka on February 14, 2024. Sri Lankan pacers took five wickets while their spinners claimed four. In reply, Sri Lanka chased down the target in just over 35 overs losing only three wickets, all taken by Afghan spinners.