India beat Sri Lanka by 62 runs in the first T20I at the Ekana Sports City in Lucknow, and also took a 1-0 lead in the series. After winning the toss, Sri Lanka elected to field first, conceding 199 runs in 20 overs. Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan scored half-centuries, while captain Rohit Sharma chipped in with 44 runs. In reply, the visitors could manage only 137 runs as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Venkatesh Iyer picked up two wickets each. Deepak Hooda, who made his ODI debut earlier this month, was rewarded with a T20I debut. Here are all the big talking points from the game.
Ishan Kishan’s flamboyant knock
Ishan Kishan’s flamboyant knock of 89 helped India notch a big total of 199 for 2. Making most of the small boundary at the Ekana stadium, Kishan hit 10 boundaries and six maximums in his knock and shared a century stand with skipper Rohit Sharma. Ishan and Rohit Sharma had added 111 runs for the opening wicket before the latter was dismissed on 44. With that knock, Ishan surpassed Rishabh Pant to become the highest individual scorer in T20Is as an Indian wicketkeeper-batsman. Pant held the record after scoring an unbeaten 65 against West Indies in 2019. Third and fourth on the list are KL Rahul (57*) and MS Dhoni (56). Kishan missed a century by just 11 runs after a sharp bouncer from Dasun Shanaka outdid him.
Rohit Sharma’s new world record
Rohit Sharma on Thursday added one more feather to his cap as he became the leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals after hitting a knock of 44 runs, during which he also shared a century partnership with Ishan Kishan. Rohit surpassed former India captain Virat Kohli (3,296) and New Zealand’s Martin Guptill (3,299) to become the highest-run scorer in the game’s shortest format. Since his debut in 2007, Rohit has played 123 T20s, from which he has 3,307 runs, including four centuries.
Not just as a batsman, Rohit achieved a new feat as the captain too. He now has the most consecutive wins as an Indian captain in T20Is – 13 wins. This is the first time India have won 10 consecutive matches in a format. In all, India have won 15 out of 16 T20Is in which Sharma has been at the helm of the team.
Deepak Hooda makes his T20I debut
All-rounder Deepak Hooda made his T20I debut in the first match of the three-match home series. Skipper Rohit Sharma handed the all-rounder from Baroda his maiden T20I cap ahead of the game. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video of the same on their social media handles while congratulating the 26-year-old.
Hooda made his ODI debut earlier this month against the West Indies. The right-handed batsman played two matches in the series, in which he scored 55 runs. With the ball, he picked up one wicket in the final game.
Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten century
In absence of Suryakumar Yadav, who is ruled out of the series due to an injury, Shreyas Iyer scored an unbeaten 57 off just 28 balls at a strike rate of 203.57. The swashbuckling batsman is making the most of the opportunities coming his way ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year, which he will aim to be a part of.
A lacklustre Sri Lankan batting performance
The Sri Lankan side, which has been depleted by injuries, put up a completely shoddy performance against the Indian bowlers. Only Charith Asalanka put up a fight with his unbeaten 53 off 47 balls. The likes of Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal and Dasun Shanaka, all of whom were expected to chip in with runs, disappointed. The visitors will be hoping to fare better with the bat in the second T20 to be played in Dharamsala.
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