Pallekele Stadium Pitch Report: A new era about is about to begin in Indian cricket, with the Sri Lanka series being the first assignment for Gautam Gambhir as Team India head coach. All eyes will also be on Suryakumar Yadav, taking reigns from Rohit Sharma as the permanent T20I skipper. The opening T20I is scheduled to take place in Pallekele, where we can expects decent amount of runs.
Pallekele Pitch Report: Batting paradise?
As far as the recent Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 matches in Pallekele are anything to go by, fans should expect a high-scoring affair from the opening India vs Sri Lanka T20I. The venue hosted the first five matches of the tournament, including three night games. India’s match will start from 7:00 pm IST and the average first-innings total (in night matches) in Pallekele during LPL 2024 was around 184.
Out of those three matches, teams batting first won twice. This might be an indication for both the teams to bowl second after winning the toss. As far as the nature of the pitch is concerned, there should be help for pacers initially. Despite some decent bounce off the deck, the batters should thrive, if they bid their time per se. The average run-rate in T20 internationals here is 8.5, meaning there might be something for all the parties.
India to return at Pallekele after 12 years
It is quite fascinating to note that the last time Team India played a T20I in Pallekele was way back in 2012. Gautam Gambhir, who is now a newly made head coach, was opening for the Men in Blue under the leadership of MS Dhoni. The ever-dependable Virat Kohli played a superb knock of 68 which led the visitors to a 39-run triumph. Ashok Dinda and Irfan Pathan bagged seven wickets between them in that game.
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele T20I stats
| Total Matches | 23 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 13 |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 9 |
| Average 1st innings Score | 161 |
| Highest Successful Chase | 172/5 |
| Highest Score | 263/3 |
| Lowest Score | 88/10 |
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