India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd T20I in Pune, Weather Update: Rain unlikely to play spoilsport on match day at MCA Stadium

Pressure will be on Sri Lanka when they play the third T20I of the series against hosts India in at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Visitors are trailing 0-1 in the series after the first match of the three-match series was abandoned without a ball bowled due to rain and wet conditions and India registering a thumping win by seven wickets in the second match in Indore, where they have not lost in 15 years across format. It was a dominant display by Virat Kohli and Co who are looking a better T20 side with every tournament played ahead of the mega event in Australia this year.

Shikhar Dhawan’s form will be a major worry for Indian team management. The southpaw has not looked at his imperious best since coming out of the break. KL Rahul is looking solid and so does Kohli and Shreyas Iyer. India’s top four looks world class at the moment. Pune is known to be a slow track and expect more spinners employed in XI by both sides.

Malinga has his task cut out. He would have aimed for a series win but leveling it might not be a bad option either. Lankans need to be at the top of their game in the last match of the series. Their batting, especially, need to step up. A repeat of Indore performance would make the job for Indians rather easy.

Kohli is expected to stick with the same side. The slow nature of the track may make him include Yuzvendra Chahal in the XI but that depends on what the pitch looks like on Friday.

As far as weather is concerned, skies will be clear with no presence of any clouds whatsoever during the night time in Pune. The match starts at 7 pm and the pitch is going to receive sunshine through out the day, as suggested by Accuweather . But there is no chance of rain on Friday, 10 January, the forecast says.