India VS Sri Lanka Match ball by ball Commentary

Right then, we are done with the prematch formalities. Sri Lanka players take their respective field positions now.

Time for the national anthems - We are all set for the action to begin. Both teams stride out in the middle and line up for their respective national anthems. It will be Sri Lanka's first, followed by the nation anthem of India.

Sri Lanka (Playing XI) - Lasith Croospulle, Sineth Jayawardena (On T20I debut), Sohan de Livera (WK) (On T20I debut), Ashen Bandara, Sahan Arachchige (C), Nuwanidu Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanuja Sahan (On T20I debut), Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Tharindu Ratnayake and Binura Fernando.

India (Playing XI) - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer (C), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi and Jasprit Bumrah.

In conversation with Sanju Samson - On focusing on the Gold Medal, Samson keeps it simple, saying the team will try their absolute maximum and give whatever they can towards the goal. On Indian cricket going from strength to strength, Samson feels this is pretty well known at this point, calling it an established fact how much Indian cricket has grown over the years. He credits constant effort behind the scenes, with the IPL playing a big role, but is quick to highlight domestic cricket as an equally important factor. He points to the consistent push to turn up and play domestic fixtures whenever possible, calling it the breeding ground for a lot of the talent coming through. He singles out the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Ranji Trophy as strong grooming platforms, along with the Under-19 sides touring abroad every season, all of which he feels are producing a steady stream of cricketers for the country. On Virat Kohli's 86th international century in the first ODI against West Indies, Samson calls himself very fortunate to have someone like Kohli around. He says watching Kohli score runs, seeing how he practices and how he goes about playing for the country, remains a huge inspiration for players like him still in the national setup, and for everyone sharing the dressing room with him. He adds that the performances Kohli keeps churning out benefit the team in a real way, and admits he is genuinely happy to witness it all.

Massive update - We are hearing that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is in for this one, with both Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson retained in the XI as well. That likely means Samson slots down to number three to accommodate him. And more interestingly, Arshdeep Singh makes way while Bumrah comes back into the side, leaving India with just him and Shivam Dube as their seam bowling options. So India have clearly gone with a batting-heavy lineup, leaving the spinners to shoulder the bulk of the bowling load. We will have both playing XIs for you shortly, so stay tuned.

TOSS - It's time for the coin to go up in Nisshin. Both captains - Shreyas Iyer and Sahan Arachchige - are out in the middle, with the team sheets exchanged. Shreyas flicks the coin, and Sahan calls it correctly. Sri Lanka have opted to BOWL first.

Conditions and combinations - The sun is trying to break through the clouds here in Nisshin, and it looks like the worst of the weather is behind us. Expect a full 20-over contest from here on. For India, the first question remains the same, who plays and who doesn't. Jasprit Bumrah sat out the one-off T20I against Japan a couple of weeks back, so he should walk back into the XI fresh and firing. Sooryavanshi's inclusion is also one to watch out for this time around. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, bring a fair share of unknown quantities into this one, though there are several experienced heads in the side as well. That lack of familiarity could still work in their favour against an Indian side that has clearly struggled against spin on turning surfaces.

A medal confirmed - The first semifinal between Pakistan and Bangladesh was trimmed to 13 overs a side, and it is Sahibzada Farhan's men who have come out on top, chasing down 112 with six wickets to spare. That result books Pakistan a place in the Gold Medal match and guarantees them at least a medal. Up next for them in the final will be either India or Sri Lanka. Bangladesh, on the other hand, are not out of medal contention just yet, and they will have to fight it out for Bronze. Their opponent in that playoff will be decided by the loser of this second semifinal.

Weather watch and race to the final - Overcast clouds are still hovering over Nisshin, which means powerplay execution and quick tactical adjustments will be crucial if overs get trimmed. Can the defending champions India cruise into another final, or will Sri Lanka rise to the occasion and spring a tournament shocker? Do not look away, the toss is coming up next!