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West Indies
Sri Lanka
West Indies and Sri Lanka will meet in the second T20I of the series at Sabina Park, Kingston. The hosts will enter the match with momentum after winning the opening game by chasing 148 runs comfortably. Their bowlers will continue to rely on home conditions after breaking Sri Lankaβs top order early in the first match.
Sri Lanka will aim to level the series after their successful ODI campaign, but T20 cricket has been a different challenge against the Windies. The hosts will depend on their power-hitting lineup, which has often made the difference in this format.
In the last 5 T20I meetings, Sri Lanka have won 3 matches while West Indies have won 2 games. 3 of those 5 games have been won by the chasing side, with both West Indies victories coming while batting second.
Brandon King and Shai Hope gave West Indies a strong start in the first T20I with a 60-plus opening stand, making the hosts the stronger pick to post the bigger opening stand again at home.
The betting tip is...
Highest Opening Partnership - West Indies
61 %
39 %
West IndiesSri LankaJason Holder and Shamar Joseph both took 3 wickets each in the first T20I and played a major role in the West Indies' victory. Holder came into the series after a strong IPL season where he served as a key bowler for the Gujarat Titans.
Roston Chase and Akeal Hosein kept the scoring under control with economical spells as West Indies used six bowlers in the innings. Matthew Forde and Romario Shepherd were the other two bowlers.
Brandon King and Shai Hope provided a solid start in the chase. King scored 37 runs from 22 balls, while captain Shai Hope anchored the innings with 65* off 54 deliveries and scored the bulk of the runs. The middle order finished the chase comfortably. Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford added depth with their aggressive batting, while the batting lineup extended strongly until number eight.
Hope, King and Hetmyer are the key batters.
Predicted Lineup: Shai Hope (c, wk), Brandon King, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein and Shamar Joseph.
Pathum Nissanka and captain Kusal Mendis opened the batting for Sri Lanka in the first T20I. It was the first time that Kusal Mendis led Sri Lanka in a T20I. Nissanka scored 18 runs while Mendis contributed 36, but the visitors lost four wickets in quick succession and slipped under pressure.
Kamindu Mendis played a fighting innings of 51 from 39 balls, while Dasun Shanaka added 22 from 23 deliveries after consuming a significant number of balls, leaving limited opportunities for the lower order.
Wanindu Hasaranga picked up 2 wickets, while Eshan Malinga claimed one. Maheesh Theekshana delivered the most economical spell in the innings. Sri Lanka used five bowlers as the West Indies chased the target in the final over with just 3 wickets down.
Dilshan Madushanka and Dushmantha Chameera finished wicketless. Shanaka and Kamindu Mendis also offer bowling options, but they were not used.
Nissanka, Mendis and Chameera are the key players.
Predicted Lineup: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (c, wk), Lasith Croospulle, Pavan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga and Dilshan Madushanka.
West Indies will start as slight favourites after their convincing win in the first T20I. Their bowling attack looked well-balanced, while Brandon King and Shai Hope gave the team a strong platform at the top of the order. Sri Lanka's top order struggled in the opening match, and another early collapse could put them under pressure again.
The home side's opening pair will have a good chance to build another solid stand before the middle order takes over. West Indies are likely to control the key phases of the game and should be in a strong position to seal the series with another victory.
