Colombo T20I: Lanka wins toss, put India to bat first

Colombo [Sri Lanka], Mar 6 (ANI): Sri Lanka won the toss and asked India to bat first on a flat pitch that will be good for batting for both sides in the opening game of the Nidahas Trophy at the R. Premadasa Stadium here on Tuesday.

Uncapped Tamil Nadu player Vijay Shankar has been handed his first T20I cap.

For India, Rohit Sharma will lead the side in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli, who along with MS Dhoni has been rested for the series.

For Sri Lanka, Dinesh Chandimal will lead in the absence of Angelo Mathews, who has been ruled out of the tournament due to a calf injury.

Heavy security forces have been deployed outside the stadium in Colombo, following the violence against the minority Muslim community in Kandy district which claimed two lives.

Dozens of people have been arrested so far in the anti-Muslim riots.

The Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) and its acting president C.K. Khanna have stated that the Kandy incident will not hamper the fixture.

The Sri Lankan government earlier in the day imposed a state of emergency for 10 days to control law and order in the country.

A curfew was reimposed on Monday in two police divisions of Kandy district till Wednesday morning following the tense situation.

Several houses and business establishments in the district, belonging to minority Muslim community, were burnt on Monday while the body of a young man was found inside a burnt house today.

The police have said that the special security arrangements put in place in the areas will continue and the country's Special Task Force (STF) has been deployed to maintain peace.

India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jayadev Undakat and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Sri Lanka Playing XI: Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal (c), Kusal Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera, Jeevan Mendis, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Pradeep.

At the time of filing this report, India are 35 for 2 after 5 overs. (ANI)