Who Won Man of the Match [MOM] In Ind Vs SL 2nd T20I, Today?

Sri Lanka lost the first T20I against the hosts. They were looking forward to drawing the series for now so that a tie-breaker 3rd T20 will be played on Sunday. However, India has been in great form and has been showing even better intent. Resultantly, India won the 2nd T20I by 7 wickets, winning the series as well. Earlier, they’ve whitewashed WI in both ODI and T20I series. The form has continued. Although some important members of the Indian team have missed the T20 series against Sri Lanka, it didn’t change the game’s outcome for them. India won the toss and decided to bowl first. Sri Lanka made 2 changes, Binura Fernando and Dhanushka Gunthalika were brought in in place of Janith Liyanage and Jeffrey Vandersay. While India played the same team. Check out who won the Man of the Match in Ind Vs SL 2nd T20I, today?

Who Won Man of the Match [MOM] In Ind Vs SL 2nd T20I?

Shreyas Iyer has made the most out of the chances that have been given to him. Today, he scored his second fifty in this series. In the first match, he has played an important knock scoring 57 at a massive strike rate. As Rohit walked back early today, Shreyas Iyer got a long time to play. His shots were on point, he had been consistently hitting from the start and managed to remain unbeaten. Shreyas Iyer scored 74* off 44. Iyer smashed 3 back-to-back boundaries down the ground to Fernando in the fifth over. Overall, he had smashed 6 fours and 4 sixes. This was the highest score for Iyer in T20Is. Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan have struggled a bit against the spin in the beginning. But, Iyer had taken the game ahead effortlessly. For his excellent performance, Shreyas Iyer was conferred with the Man of the Match in Ind vs SL 2nd T20I.

“That (back and across) is my go-to movement and I feel my body releases and I sight the ball well. It was really important for me to time the ball because it was swinging and seaming. Sanju came in and we built a crucial partnership. Jaddu bhai came in and it was a cruise. I realised that the ball was not turning and thought stepping out would be a good option. Even if I mistime it on this ground, the ball would go to the boundary.”

Shreyas Iyer, Man of the Match

First Innings

The Sri Lankan top order was very structured in the second T20I. Pathum Nissanka was brilliant with the bat today and this gave a good start to the team. Gunathalika and Nissanka were in great sync. However, in the ninth over, Jadeja picked Gunathalika’s wicket, he walked back scoring 38 off 29. Asalanka could not stay on the crease for long. Though he was Sri Lanka’s lone warrior in the first match. Kamil Mishara and Dinesh Chandimal could not contribute much to the team’s total. Wickets kept falling, but Nissanka was continuing to put runs for the team. Resultantly, Nissanka started to pose a threat to the Indian team, but Bhuvenashwar Kumar ended Nissanka’s innings, he returned scoring 75 off 53 deliveries, hitting 11 fours. Although he could not stand on the crease till the last ball, he managed to play an impactful inning for his team.

Dasun Shanaka played yet another important kock. He had played an important knock for his team in the first T20I as well. However, that couldn’t lead to SL’s win. Today, Shanaka scored unbeaten 47 off just 19 balls. He had smashed 2 fours and 5 sixes. Moreover, Nissanka and Shanaka surpassed a decade-old mark, as it became most runs conceded by the Indian team in the death overs (17-20). Earlier, India had conceded 71 runs in the last 4 overs against South Africa in 2012. With 5 wickets’ loss, Sri Lanka had scored 183 runs.

Also read: Top Five Best Captains In T20Is Of All Time

Second Innings

Sri Lanka started well with the ball as well. With Rohit Sharma’s early wicket and their spinners dominating Indian batters, Sri Lanka had good control on the game, early in the innings. In the 4th over, Kumara’s ball had smacked Ishan Kishan’s helmet. He removed his helmet and immediately lay down. This has impacted his game and Ishan soon lost his wicket to Lahiru Kumara, scoring 16, with 2 fours. Shreyas Iyer has carried his brilliant form from the last match and took the inning ahead very calm still attacking manner. Sanju Samson got a chance to play and had made a huge contribution to the team score. However, a brilliant catch from Binura Fernando ended Sanju’s innings, he walked back at 39.

Shreyas Iyer has been rock solid in his determination tonight, standing strong at the crease till the end. Iyer had scored a gigantic unbeaten 74 runs off 44 deliveries, hitting 6 fours and 4 sixes. Moreover, the performance has come when the Indian team was struggling at first. Jadeja played a quick and important cameo by scoring 45 runs, with 7 fours and a six, at a strike rate of 250. At some point in the inning, it was difficult to think that India will win the match so effortlessly. India chased down the runs in 17.1 overs itself. India won the match by 7 wickets.

Match Summary

India Vs Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I, HP Cricket association Stadium, Dharmshala

Sri Lanka: 183/5 (Pathum Nissanka 75, Dasun Shanaka 47; Jasprit Bumrah 24/1)

India: 186/3 (Shreyas Iyer 74, Ravindra Jadeja 45; Lahiru Kumara 31/2)

India won the match by 7 wickets.