Shivam Mavi and Umran Malik star with the ball for Team India

Team India started 2023 with a win over Lankan Lions by 2 runs in a last-ball drama in the 1st T20I match. With this victory, the Hosts have taken a 1-0 lead in the 3-match T20I series. Batting first, India scored 162 runs losing five wickets in the full quota. In response, the Sri Lankan team was able to score only 160 runs and lost the match. And as a result, India won the match by two runs. This is India's third smallest win in terms of runs in T20Is. This was the debut match for Indian fast bowler Shivam Mavi and he impressed by taking four wickets.

Batting first after losing the toss in this match, the pair of Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan got India off to a great start. Both added 17 runs in the first over. India's first wicket fell on the score of 27 runs. Gill was dismissed after scoring seven runs in his debut match. 

After this, the number one T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav was also dismissed after scoring seven runs. The middle-order batter Samson also returned to the pavilion after scoring five runs. After this, The left-handed batter Kishan was dismissed after playing a crucial knock of 37 and the skipper of the side Hardik Pandya scored 29 runs.

Team India was struggling after losing five wickets for 94 runs. After this, Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel shared a 68-run partnership to take India's score to 162 for five. The all-rounder Deepak Hooda remained unbeaten on 41 and another left-handed all-rounder Axar Patel played quick innings of 31 runs. For Sri Lanka, except Rajita, all the bowlers settled with a wicket each.

Chasing a target of 163, Sri Lanka got off to a bad start. Sri Lanka's first wicket fell on the score of 12 runs. After this, the second wicket fell for 24 runs and the third wicket for 47 runs. Half of the Sri Lankan team returned to the pavilion with a score of 68 runs which also increased India's victory’s chance till that time.

For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga and captain Dasun Shanaka stitched a 40-run partnership to bring Sri Lanka back into the match. But the debutant Shivam Mavi and fast gun bowler Umran Malik dismissed both the settled batters, but Chamika Karunaratne took the match till the last ball of the match by smashing big shots in the death overs. In the end, Axar Patel saved 13 runs in the last over and India won the match by two runs.

The 24-year-old Shivam Mavi took four wickets for 22 runs for India in this match. Umran Malik and Harshal Patel also got two wickets each. Captain Hardik Pandya leaked only 12 runs in three overs.