Ind vs SL 1st T20I: In the first T20I of the three-match series between India and Sri Lanka, held at the Wankhede Stadium, India emerged victorious by a narrow margin of just two runs. The Indian team put up a strong performance with the bat, with Deepak Hooda scoring 41 runs off 23 balls and Ishan Kishan contributing 37 runs off 29 balls.
Axar Patel also chipped in with 31 runs off 20 balls. The Sri Lankan bowlers were unable to make much of an impact, with only three wickets falling during the first innings. Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Chamika Karunaratne and Wanindu Hasaranga picked up one wicket each.
Despite putting up a decent score of 162 runs on the board, the Indian bowlers faced a tough challenge in restricting the Sri Lankan batters. Dasun Shanaka led the charge for the Sri Lankans with 45 runs off 27 balls, while Kusal Mendis contributed 28 runs off 25 balls. However, some solid performances from the rest of the Sri Lankan batting lineup saw them amass 160 runs, falling just short of the target.
The star of the show for the Indian bowlers was Shivam Mavi, who claimed a four-wicket haul. He was well supported by Umran Malik and Harshal Patel, who picked up two wickets each. In the end, it was the Indian bowlers who proved to be the difference between the two teams, with their disciplined performance helping to restrict the Sri Lankans and secure a narrow victory for India.
Overall, it was a closely contested match that went down to the wire. Both teams will now look to build on this performance and come back stronger in the remaining two T20Is of the series. With the series not level at 1-0, both India and Sri Lanka will be eager to take an early lead and put pressure on their opponents. It will be interesting to see how the two teams fare in the upcoming matches and who comes out on top in this closely contested series.
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