India vs Sri Lanka, T20: Virat Kohli & Pandey drives India to empathic win

Driving on Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey’s brilliant knocks, team India managed to beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the one-off T20 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

There's reason why Virat Kohli is said to be a master in modern day cricket when it comes to chasing. It's his temperament and the extraordinary ability to pace his innings during the run chase.

And on Wednesday evening, the 28-year-old once again showcased the immense talent, the extraordinary batting skills and the variety of shots that he has to his credit.

Chasing a total of 171 at the damp Premdasa pitch was not going to be easy, especially after the loss of two early wickets.

Experienced Rohit Sharma (9) and Lokesh Rahul (24) both were in dressing with the score of 42 inside six overs. However, what came next was what the Indian fans were hoping to see.

Kohli came with yet another power packed batting display as he helped India win the lone T20I against Sri Lanka by seven wickets, thereby bringing an end to what has been a dream tour for the Men in Blue.

The Indian skipper played a brilliant 82-run knock off just 54 balls. His blistering innings was studded with seven fours and a six.

He was ably supported by young Manish Pandey, who brought his first T20I fifty (51*). He smacked four boundaries and a six in his 36-ball knock.

Kohli, however, departed towards the end of the run chase as Dasun Shanaka took a fantastic catch at deep mid-wicket.

Earlier, put in to bat, Sri Lanka posted a challenging target of 171, thanks to some good power hitting from Dilshan Munaweera, who scored 53 runs of just 29 balls.

Middle-order batsman Ashan Priyanjan remained not out at 40.

For India, young leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of the bowlers with figures of three for 43 from his four overs, while chinaman Kuldeep Yadav scalped two for 20.

This was after the match started after a 55 minutes delay because of wet outfield following rains.

Kohli was adjudged the Man of the Match.

India, which had remained unbeaten throughout the tour after whitewashing the hosts in the three-match Test series 3-0 before completing a 5-0 triumph in the ODIs, thus put salt on the wounds of the Sri Lankans with their routing in the lone T2oI and making it 9-0 on the tour.

Brief Scores:

India: 174/3 (Virat Kohli 82, Manish Pandey 51 not out) vs Sri Lanka: 170/7 (Dilshan Munaweera 53, Ashan Priyanjan 40 not out, Isuru Udana 19 not out, Yuzvendra Chahal 3/43, Kuldeep Yadav 2/20).

-With ANI inputs