'Politics win', Gautam Gambhir blasted as India not picking Sanju Samson for the first T20I

The three-match T20I series between India and Sri Lanka began on Saturday, July 27, in Pallekele. Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first against the world champions.

New captains lead the way

This match starts a new chapter for both teams as they have new T20I captains. Suryakumar Yadav has taken over from Rohit Sharma as India’s T20I captain after Rohit retired from the format. Charith Asalanka is the new captain for Sri Lanka, following Wanindu Hasaranga’s resignation after their poor T20 World Cup performance, where they didn’t advance past the group stage.

“We are going to bowl first. The pitch looks good, and we want to see how it plays. We’re going with a 6-5 batters-bowlers combination. I want to give each player specific roles, so we’re using five bowlers. You can expect more wins and consistency,” said Asalanka after winning the toss.

Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson left out

India’s new team management surprised everyone with their team selection. Allrounder Shivam Dube and star batter Sanju Samson were left out of the Playing XI for the series opener. Dube played in all eight of India’s games at the T20 World Cup last month, and Samson was also part of the squad.

Despite some good performances, Dube seems to need to prove himself to the new management. Instead of Dube, the team has given young Riyan Parag another chance to shine in international cricket.

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