Sri Lanka, under the captaincy of Dasun Shanaka, will look to begin their World Cup campaign with a win, leveraging their strong spin attack and batting depth suited for subcontinental conditions.
The PCB had earlier cited a February 1 social media post by the Pakistan government, which instructed the team to participate in the T20 World Cup but boycott the India match
Having come close to beating South Africa in the last edition and defeating the West Indies recently, Nepal are poised to challenge the bigger teams and make an impact in this World Cup.
Sri Lanka comes into the match with a squad that is perfectly suited for the subcontinental conditions, with a strong spin attack and a batting line-up capable of dominating on home turf.
Siraj, who came into the squad as a last-minute replacement for an injured Harshit Rana, said he did not think he would get into the playing XI immediately
Suryakumar's captain's knock (84* off 49) pushed India to 161/9 in their 20 overs after a top order collapse courtesy of some brilliant bowling by the USA bowling attack in Mumbai.
SKY's knock of 84 off 49 balls* was not only a vital innings but also a historic one, as it became the second-highest score in a T20 World Cup debut captaincy innings.
The United States of America may not have had a fairytale run recently, but they have shown their ability to shock the big teams, as evidenced by their victory over Pakistan in 2024.
The ICC has formally asked the PCB to explain the legal and contractual basis of its decision, particularly after the board placed the responsibility on the Pakistan government
India will begin their title T20 World Cup defence on Saturday when Suryakumar Yadav's men take on USA. The match will start at 7 pm IST, with the toss expected around 6.30 pm IST.
