Sri Lankan player Dasun Shanaka plays a shot during the T20 cricket match between India and Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai. (PTI) Former India opener Gautam Gambhir feels Sri Lanka’s skipper Dasun Shanaka would have been the hottest pick if the ongoing series had happened before the IPL auction.
“I won’t have money, he would be that expensive, the way he has batted. That is what the auction is all about,” Gambhir told Star Sports.
“Imagine if this series had happened just before the auction, some of the franchises would probably not have had the money to buy him.”
Shanaka had gone unsold in the IPL auction but the Sri Lanka captain is having a great series. He has amassed 101 in two games at an incredible strike rate of 206.12 and the all-rounder has also bagged two wickets in the second T20I. Shanaka smoked a 27-ball 45 in the first T20I and followed it with an unbeaten 22-ball 56 in the second match.
As expected, Sri Lanka have given a solid fight to the hosts. The reigning Asia Cup champions came back strongly to level the series. However, they would like their middle order to perform better. The decider will be played in Rajkot on Saturday.
Rajkot is one of the flattest tracks in the country and is expected to be a batting belter. The toss could thus play an important role as both captains would like to chase.
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