Sri Lanka vs. West Indies, World T20: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview
With the West Indies and Sri Lanka both making successful starts to their ICC World Twenty20 campaigns, the winner of this tussle will be in an excellent position to clinch a semi-final spot.
And judging by his destructive innings against England, the length of time Chris Gayle manages to bat could be the key to this game.
Let's take a look at how these sides are shaping up ahead of this intriguing clash.
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Date: Sunday, 20 March
Time: 7:30 p.m. local (2:00 p.m. GMT)
Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Live Stream and TV Info: Channel 9 and Fox Sports (Australia), Ariana TV Network (Afghanistan), BTV (Bangladesh), ESPN Star and Star Sports (India), SkySports NZ (New Zealand), Sky Sports 2 (United Kingdom), Willow TV (subscription, USA and Canada), PTV Sports and Ten Sports (Pakistan), SuperSport (South Africa), OSN Sports (Middle East)
Weather: According to BBC Weather, it could be a scorcher in Bangalore with a day of sunshine seguing into a perfect night for cricket.
Overview
How to solve a problem like Gayle? That's the conundrum facing Sri Lanka in Bangalore.
England certainly couldn't and had to stand and watch as the self-styled "Universe Boss" blasted 11 sixes while compiling a match-winning 47-ball century.
Will the Sri Lankans fare any better?
They won't have Lasith Malinga in their ranks to help them with the wild-haired paceman, because as reported by ESPNCricinfo, he was ruled out of the tournament on Friday due to a knee injury.
It is expected that one of Seekkuge Prasanna, Jefferey Vandasay or Kasun Rajitha will replace him in the squad.
But they do have the vast experience of Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and Tillakaratne Dilshan, who rolled back the years to make 83 from 56 balls against Afghanistan, to call on with the bat.
Additionally, a varied bowling lineup potentially boasting multiple spinners could provide a real test, especially if the track is conducive to turn.
However, it's clear that the West Indies will go into the encounter as favourites.
Despite the absence of Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard, their lineup contains numerous T20 veterans who are more than at home playing in Indian conditions.
And as well as Gayle's well-known ability to hit a long ball, every one of their top seven is capable of causing significant damage in little time at the crease.
Perhaps their weakest aspect is a pace attack with a penchant for leaking runs alarmingly at times.
The trio of Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Carlos Brathwaite currently own T20 International economy rates of 8.58, 9.54 and 10.37, respectively.
Although spin duo Sulieman Benn and, in particular, Samuel Badree (see below) can be difficult to get away, which tends to balance things out.
T20I head-to-head record and last meeting
Sri Lanka currently hold the upper hand over the West Indies in the T20 format and boast a 6-2 record from their eight encounters. That said, the last four contests have been split equally, and the Caribbean Islands won the teams' latest meeting by 23 runs in November at Colombo.
Squads
Sri Lanka
Angelo Mathews (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milinda Siriwardana, Dasun Shanaka, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dushmantha Chameera, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Thirimanne.
West Indies
Darren Sammy (capt), Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Ashley Nurse, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Evin Lewis, Jerome Taylor.
Key Players
Sri Lanka
Given his surprising return to the captaincy, Mathews has to carry a lot of weight on his shoulders, but his economical bowling and powerful hitting will be crucial if Sri Lanka are going to threaten the business end of the tournament. The 28-year-old took the new ball against Afghanistan and also provided the finishing flourish. Expect more of the same here.
West Indies
While Gayle captures the headlines, Badree is an understated threat with the ball. Incredibly, the 35-year-old has returned an economy rate of 5.41 from 129 T20 appearances, the best of any bowler who has played the format. If the metronomic leg-spinner finds his range again, it will be four overs Sri Lanka will struggle to score in.
Prediction
The West Indies bludgeoned England aside but, to be fair, it was a one-man show. If the law of averages kicks in and the big man fails this time around, Sri Lanka's mixed bag of bowlers could confuse Darren Sammy's men enough to claim surprise victory.
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