IND VS SL: Deepak Hooda makes his T20I debut as SL opt to bowl in 1st T20I

India all-rounder Deepak Hooda has been handed his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut in the underway 1st T20I against Sri Lanka.

Hooda made his India debut earlier this month during the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against West Indies. He played two games, where he scored a total of 55 runs and picked up a wicket.

India captain Rohit Sharma gave Hooda his T20I cap ahead of the first T20I at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

At the toss, Rohit revealed that opening batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad won't play the first game as he is out with a wrist injury.

"We were looking to chase as well, not sure how the pitches in India play. But we now know we need to bat well, the last time we played here, about 4 years back, the pitch played well. Nothing changes as far as the goals of the team are concerned, need to do the right things as a team, need to keep ticking all the right boxes.

It's a challenge for the new gutsy - from the last game we played, we have 6 changes. Ruturaj was supposed to play, but he has a wrist injury and will not play today," Rohit said at the toss.

IND VS SL: Very much comfortable batting at No. 3, says Shreyas Iyer

With Ruturaj out, Ishan Kishan has opened the innings with Rohit, while Shreyas Iyer is expected to come out at No. 3.

"I'm very much comfortable at 3, have grown up batting at that number. You can go in early if a wicket falls, get set and make a big score, really comfortable playing there. I was flamboyant when I first started off, but now I have become calm and composed, and grown in temperament.

You can't think a lot in this format (T20s), you just walk in and try to smash every ball. Leg-spinners tend to bowl above the eye-level, even in nets, I try to go after them, it's something I can't control myself against them right from the first ball (laughs)," Iyer said in a pre-match interview on Thursday.

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and put India to bat.

"We'll bowl, it's a very good pitch, we have been bowling well in the last few games, so backing our strengths. We have had a couple of days to recover. We have a couple of injuries - Chandimal and Vandersay are in, they replace Theekshana and Kusal Mendis," Shanaka said.

India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I: Playing XIs

India XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(wk), Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal

Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Charith Asalanka, Dinesh Chandimal(wk), Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka(c), Chamika Karunaratne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara