Although he hasn’t hit prime form himself, Sri Lanka wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Perera stated that the seniors in the national team will have to rise up to the occasion.
He opined that if Sri Lanka indeed want to beat India in the T20I series, the seniors must play with a lot more responsibility.
Notably, the Lankan side is going through a massive transition phase as it struggles to fill the big shoes of legends like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
“I didn’t play consistent Test cricket but in white-ball cricket, I played the last series in Australia. There I played well but not up to the mark. So I will try to do my best in this series,” Perera, a veteran of 18 Tests, 98 ODIs and 43 T20Is, said.
“We need to play together as a team. Obviously the senior players will have to pull up their socks. They will have to do much better but at the same time the good thing is we have some young bowlers and batsmen in the squad,” Perera told BCCI tv.
In terms of batting and bowling averages, strike rates and even win/loss ratio, India are clearly the better side out of the two. However, the Sri Lankan cricketer hopes that his team backs its strength to do perform well against a formidable Indian unit.
“They (India) are very good. In world cricket, India is at the top of the rank. So, as a team we will try to do what we can do in the middle. We back our strengths,” he said after the first T20I match scheduled at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium was abandoned due to a wet outfield on Sunday.
The 29-year-old southpaw stated that since he is a senior himself, he will be under the scanner as well in this three-match T20I series.
“This series will be a good experience for me as I have to take responsibility. I will have to bat at number three position and I will try to do my best,” he stated.