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The Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India will take on Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series, starting July 27 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele. As the two sides take the field, Sri Lanka will be without Binura Fernando, who has been hospitalised with chest infection. On the other hand, in Women’s Asia Cup, Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan Women to setup the summit clash with India Women.
In this article, we will go through all the big news that took place on July 26-27. But, before that, let’s take a look at the matches scheduled to take place today.
Today’s match preview
1st T20I: Sri Lanka vs India
After registering a commanding win over Zimbabwe, India will commence their Sri Lanka tour with a three-match T20I series, which will be followed by ODIs. The team will tour Sri Lanka under a new coach, Gautam Gambhir at the helm and will poise to continue its strong and dominating form with Suryakumar Yadav succeeding Rohit Sharma as T20I captain. The first game of the T20I series will take place at the Pallekele Stadium on Saturday, July 27.
Major cricket events that happened on July 26 and 27
Women’s Asia Cup 2024: Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 3 wickets; to see India in final
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by three wickets in a thrilling semi-final on Friday and made their way through to the final of the Women’s Asia Cup. Yet another time, it was Chamari Athapaththu, who played a crucial role in their victory. She led from the front and scored 63 runs off 48 balls with the help of nine fours and a six. Chasing 142, the skipper batted until the 17th over and got out with Sri Lanka needing 21 runs off 20 balls.
This relationship is special: SKY opens up on bond with Gautam Gambhir
India’s new T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav opened up on the bond he shares with Gautam Gambhir, newly appointed Indian head coach. As the Sri Lanka series starts on Saturday, Yadav opened up on his bond with newly recruited coach and former teammate, Gambhir, which dates back to 2014, when they both were part of the KKR in IPL.
WATCH: Rahul Dravid’s surprise message makes Gautam Gambhir emotional
Gautam Gambhir, the new head coach of the Indian cricket team, received a surprise message from his predecessor, Rahul Dravid, wherein he shared his experiences, learnings, and expectations from the job. Upon hearing the kind words from Rahul Dravid, the 42-year-old got a bit emotional while talking about how he wants to make the nation and his predecessor proud.
Binura Fernando to miss opening T20I; Ramesh Mendis added
The hosts, Sri Lanka have been handed another blow with Binura Fernando missing the opening game, set to be played on Saturday, July 27 with chest infection. “Binura Fernando has been hospitalised as the player is suffering from a chest infection,” SLC wrote in the post. Moreover, SLC has added Ramesh Mendis as a standby player in the squad.
Venkatesh Iyer signs for Lancashire for 5 weeks; to return for Duleep Trophy
Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has signed with Lancashire County Cricket Club for the next five weeks. The standout performer for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their IPL 2024 title-winning campaign is set to feature in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup and the concluding two rounds of the Vitality County Championship in late August. The Lancashire County Cricket Club confirmed Venkatesh's signing in a statement issued on Friday.
Kane Williamson, Chris Woakes join Durban's Super Giants for SA20 2025
Kane Williamson and Chris Woakes will play for the Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20 2025. The Kiwi-English duo was roped in as direct signings by the last season’s runners-up. Earlier in June, Williamson opted out of a central contract for New Zealand men and also stepped down as the Black Caps skipper in ODIs and T20Is. Williamson also showed his desire to take part in the T20 competition on South African soil.
