The action moves to the shorter format as the Sri Lanka vs India 5-match ODI series commences on Sunday at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. The Indian team is riding high on confidence after their successful outing in the Tests where they comfortably beat the hosts 3-0. The Sri Lankan side lacked venom and struggled to put up a fight. They will look to make amends in the 50-over format now and take on the Virat Kohli led side where Rohit Sharma has been appointed as the vice-captain.

The Indian side have made a few changes to their squad – big names like Yuvraj Singh and Dinesh Karthik have been omitted along with rising talent Rishabh Pant. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami have also been rested for the series while Shardul Thakur and leggie Yuzvendra Chahal have been drafted into the 15-man squad. KL Rahul, who is fit and back to his best, also features along with the in-form Manish Pandey. Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the West Indies tour, also returns in this series. The squad has a good blend of youth and experience.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have included Milinda Siriwardana, Malinda Pushpakumara, Thisara Perera and Vishwa Fernando. Pushpakumara and Fernando were a part of the Test series but they are yet to make their ODI debuts. Experienced campaigner Thisara Perera also returns for the limited overs format and his role will be vital for the Island nation. The Lankan side have left out Asitha Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekara and Lahiru Kumara along with Nuwan Pradeep, who has injured his hamstring and Asela Gunaratne, who injured his thumb during the Test series. It will be Upul Tharanga’s first series as a full time ODI captain for Sri Lanka and he would be looking to make it a big impression against a strong Indian side.

India start off as favourites but you never know if Sri Lanka bring out their best and click as a unit, something which they lacked in the ODI series. Team India will be looking to keep the momentum going and start strongly in the first ODI.

Stage:

The Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium will host the first ODI between Sri Lanka and India. Among touring teams who have played at least 5 matches at this venue, India have the best win/loss ratio. The visitors will look to keep their record intact over here.

Acts:

Rohit Sharma vs Lasith Malinga:

Both these players spent a lot of times in the nets against each other during the IPL season, but it will be interesting to see who comes out on top when they clash in their national outfits.

Upul Tharanga vs Jasprit Bumrah:

The southpaw opener had a tough time in the Test series but with the added responsibility in the ODIs, the skipper would look to lead from the front. Bumrah will, of course, hope to do things his way and suffocate Tharanga’s impact.

Hardik Pandya vs Lakshan Sandakan:

Fresh from entering the record books with his maiden Test century, the Indian all-rounder will target Sandakan once again if the situation demands it. It’ll be interesting to see how the Sri Lankan chinaman responds this time.