MS Dhoni's most trusted man warns Gautam Gambhir of adverse result in his 1st series as India Head Coach

MS Dhoni's trusted man and Sri Lanka's star pacer, Matheesha Pathirana believes that Sri Lanka have 'a very good side' for the T20I series against India. Pathirana feels that Sri Lanka have the ability to topple India, which can act as a huge confidence booster for the island nation.

With Wanindu Hasaranga having resigned from the role of captaincy, Sri Lanka appointed the talented middle-order batter Charith Asalanka as the team's new captain. This will be Asalanka's first series as Sri Lanka's full-time captain.

Sri Lanka had a disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024 as they were unable to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the tournament. Asalanka will be under pressure to lead an under-confident team against a side that has most bases covered.

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Matheesha Pathirana's fiery warning to India

Fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana was confident about his team giving a tough fight to India. While speaking to Sportstar, Pathirana reckoned that India's combination might be different as they are coming with a new coach and a new team now.

“I think it will be a good challenge. India is coming with a new coach and some new players; their combination will be slightly different. But it will be a good challenge for us because they are world champions,” Pathirana stated.

The young fast bowler, who is seen as a replica of Lasith Malinga, felt that Sri Lanka has an excellent team despite not doing well at the T20 World Cup. He believes that it will boost their confidence if Sri Lanka can pull off a series win here.

“We have a very good side and a lot of talent and potential. Unfortunately, we didn’t do well in the T20 World Cup. But if we can win this series, it will be a confidence booster for the next three years,” the 21-year-old added.

Matheesha Pathirana records in IPL

Matheesha Pathirana plays for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL. He has often credited MS Dhoni and feels that the legendary Indian captain has played a big role in his development. In 20 matches he has played in his IPL career, Pathirana has picked up 34 wickets. He picked up 19 wickets in IPL 2023 and helped CSK to win a record fifth IPL title.

Meanwhile, India will start a new era under head coach Gautam Gambhir. This will be Gambhir's first stint as India's head coach and he will aim to prepare a solid team for the future in both formats. Not only Gambhir, the T20I series will be Suryakumar Yadav's first series as India's full-time T20I campaign.

Suryakumar Yadav was appointed India's captain after Rohit Sharma retired after India's title win in the T20 World Cup 2024. Along with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja also retired from the shortest format.

India's tour of Sri Lanka will begin on July 27. The T20Is will be played on July 27, 28, and 30 which will be followed by the ODI series. The T20I series will be played in Pallekele while the ODIs will be played in Colombo.