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SL bat first with T20I series on the line

Kabir Anand · 15/06/2026 · 2 min read

SL bat first with T20I series on the line

For the third match running, Sri Lanka batted first, after being put into bat by the West Indies at Sabina Park in the 3rd and final T20I. The series is level at 1-1, after Sri Lanka responded to West Indies’ opening game supremacy with a dominant performance of their own on Saturday.

Now just 24 hours later, Sri Lanka will be looking to repeat the feat and secure their first-ever T20I series win away in the Caribbean.

West Indies and Sri Lanka Teams

The West Indies hopes of defending that home record is boosted by the return of Jason Holder, the Player-of-the-Match in the first game who missed the second with a niggle. There’s also a first game on tour for promising young batter Ackeem August. Making way are Shamar Springer and Romario Shepherd. Sri Lanka, unsurprisingly, have sought to stick to a winning formula as they named an unchanged XI.

The pitch at Sabina Park is a new one, one coated by some rare daylong sun in Kingston. That said, it’s not expected to be as hard a surface as in the previous two matches, with the curator not having as much preparation time owing to the quick turnaround. This means the ball might not come on as well to the bat, requiring patience from the batters. Expect spinners, and seamers with good cutters in their arsenal, to be influential.

West Indies XI :

1 Shai Hope (capt, wk)
2 Brandon King
3 Shimron Hetmyer
4 Roston Chase
5 Sherfane Rutherford
6 Rovman Powell
7 Jason Holder
8 Ackeem August
9 Matthew Forde
10 Akeal Hosein
11 Shamar Joseph

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Sri Lanka XI:

1 Pathum Nissanka
2 Kusal Mendis (capt, wk)
3 Kamil Mishara
4 Pavan Rathnayake
5 Kamindu Mendis
6 Dasun Shanaka
7 Wanindu Hasaranga
8 Dunith Wellalage
9 Maheesh Theekshana
10 Dushmantha Chameera
11 Eshan Malinga

Kabir Anand

Kabir Anand is a senior cricket correspondent for India Today, respected for turning intricate match data into accessible and compelling narratives. A graduate of St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, he began his career covering the city’s Kanga League and age‑group tournaments before stepping onto the IPL and international stage. Kabir specialises in T20 tactics, with a unique focus on the often‑overlooked art of wicketkeeping and fielding analytics. Whether breaking down a death‑over strategy or profiling the sharpest glovesmen in world cricket, his writing combines clarity with technical rigour. He has reported from multiple IPL seasons, T20 World Cups, and bilateral series, and is a regular contributor to India Today’s digital and broadcast platforms. A RedInk Award winner, Kabir remains driven by a belief that modern cricket journalism must blend real‑time data with the timeless craft of storytelling.