Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill take India to 88/1 in 15 overs against Sri Lanka

Mumbai: Fluent knocks by Virat Kohli (41 not out) and Shubman Gill (35 not out) took India to a strong position of 88/1 in 15 overs against Sri Lanka in their World Cup contest here on Thursday.

After losing captain Rohit Sharma (4) early, Kohli (41 not out) and Gill (35 not out) kept India ahead of Sri Lanka with crisp batting. Sri Lanka were off to a terrific start when Dilshan Madushanka beat the defence of Rohit on the second ball of the game for the first breakthrough.

Sri Lankan seamers dominated the initial exchanges as Dushmantha Chameera’s two maidens upfront featured probing line and length, drawing inside edges on consecutive deliveries off Kohli’s bat, before a leading edge dropped short of the bowler in his follow-through.

Gill made his first runs on his ninth ball when Madushanka dropped it short and the batter pulled it to midwicket for a four, following up with a backfoot punch piercing the point and cover fielders for another boundary.

But Gill was lucky as Charith Asalanka mistimed his jump at cover while attempting to take a catch in the fifth over off Madushanka.

In the sixth over, Chameera could not hold on to a catch on his follow-through when Kohli got another leading edge.

Brief score: India 88 for 1 in 15 overs (Virat Kohli 41 not out, Shubman Gill 35 not out).