Which Indian players left out of playing XI in 1st T20I against Sri Lanka?

The much-awaited Sri Lanka vs India 3-match T20I series is finally taking place on July 27th at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele. Sri Lanka won the toss and was elected to bowl first. This means the Indian batters will get a chance to put a good total on the board to dominate the Lankan Lions in the second innings.

While the due factor might come into play in the 2nd innings, India's bowling attack should look to defend any target set by the batters. The young Indian team, playing under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, will look to make the most out of the situation. However, four players were dropped from the playing XI of the first T20I: Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Khaleel Ahmed, and Washington Sundar. 

Picking up Riyan Parag instead of Shivam Dube was indeed a bold move by the Indian management since Dube was a part of the World Cup-winning team and did quite well in the tournament. Also, dropping Samson from the team once again without any solid reason isn't making the management look good in the eyes of the fans. Dropping players without giving them ample chances is something which is extremely controversial. 

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We start from scratch and it is a new challenge: Suryakumar Yadav

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav has shown some positive intent during the toss time, which is a good sign for the Indian team. He did talk about the World Cup and mentioned how the team needs to think about the present and play well in this series. This kind of mindset is quite refreshing and shows confidence in the players. 

"It (the pitch) looks good and it is fine to bat first. The brand of cricket remains the same. The relationship me and him (Gambhir) have had for so many years is special. Dube, Samson, Khaleel and Washington are the four players to miss out. That (World Cup) is history, we start from scratch and it is a new challenge,"