Find out all you need to know about the clash between the sides in Indore...
Sri Lanka continue their preparation for October's T20 World Cup with the second game of their three-match short-form tour of India, with both sides hoping for better luck than on Sunday, where rain and a damp pitch washed out the chances of any play.
SECOND T20: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore (Tuesday, January 7, 7.00pm IST, 1.30pm GMT)
THIRD T20: Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune (Friday, January 10, 7.00pm IST, 1.30pm GMT)
Surprisingly, perhaps, given their dominance in the latter half of 2019, India lost five of their 10 T20 games on home soil, with Australia, Bangladesh, South Africa and the West Indies all winning matches on India’s patch.
However, they have rarely been at full strength, with Virat Kohli rested during the series against Bangladesh and injuries to Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya curtailing their years.
Bumrah, however, has returned to the fore after recovering from his back injury which, at one stage, appeared more serious than first feared.
Shikhar Dhawan is also back in India colours after a knee injury. The pressure is on the left-hander, with Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul currently ahead in the pecking order. Sharma has been rested for this series.
India squad: Virat Kohli (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shikhar Dhawan, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Navdeep Saini, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
Sri Lanka squad: Lasith Malinga (c), Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Danushka Gunathilaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Kasun Rajitha, Lakshan Sandakan, Dasun Shanaka, Isuru Udana
Dafabet has India as 1/5 favourites to take the opening game, while Sri Lanka can be backed at 10/3 in Guwahati.
It is difficult to properly judge Sri Lanka’s recent Test form. They whitewashed Pakistan only a couple of months ago, doing so with a skeleton side after much of their first-choice group opted out of the white-ball leg of the tour.
Yet, beyond that shock win against a traditionally strong T20 outfit, Lasith Malinga’s side managed just a single victory.
Against a home side that has chased down 207 and defended 240 in its two home victories over the West Indies earlier this month, a lack of equivalent firepower in the Sri Lankan lineup is likely to be the main cause for concern.
Lasith Malinga's side averaged just 7.45 per over through the course of the last 12 months, and no new specialist batsmen have come in to reinforce the batting lineup that stumbled to totals of 117 all out and 99 for 9 during October's 3-0 series loss in Australia.
Angelo Mathews has been recalled to the squad with correcting that statistic in mind.
Far better conditions are expected in Indore, with the sun shining throughout the day and a full game expected.
Star Gold will air the match in both the UK and India, with pre-match coverage from 5.30pm IST (12pm GMT). The series will also stream via the Hotstar platform.
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