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Sri Lanka in the WT20 - The Lions have plenty to roar about this time around - Part 1 - Opinion

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Sri Lanka in the WT20 - The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lions-c808 have plenty to roar about this time around - Part 1 - Opinion
Sri Lanka, as hosts of the ICC World T20 of 2012, would definitely fancy their chances of replicating India’s World Cup feat in 2011, by becoming the first team to win an http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World T20 on home soil. After all they are a team which is well versed with T20
cricket, and have gained notoriety for annihilating any opposition in their own den. The Emerald Isle has been blessed with an array of top quality batsmen, bowlers and fielders, who have graced cricket grounds around the world, and showcased some of the best
displays of power hitting, quality bowling and scintillating catches that the world has ever seen. Since the 1996 Cricket World Cup in the subcontinent, Sri Lanka has transformed itself from being struggling minnows into a global force that has the ability
to tear apart oppositions at will. This transformation has also been visible in the T20 format, as a slow start in the inaugural edition of the tournament was met with a place in the final and a place in the Semi Finals of later editions of the World T20.
An array of top quality players at their disposal have helped Sri Lanka achieve their status of being ‘invincible’, on their day.
The team is perhaps the only South Asian side, which has had a terrific track record in the format, both home and abroad. For a nation which is known to produce players who could beat the heat and play with ruthlessness, it is remarkable that Sri Lanka has
strung in some memorable feats in places such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 and Australia. Most of their neighbors have tended to wither under pressure and succumb to the pace and bounce of foreign wickets, in a format, which usually helps teams gnaw their way back
into contention. Yet Sri Lanka have managed to come up with some thumping performances, where players like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DPMD-Jayawardene-c1397 have all made their mark as T20 specialists.
They are thus top contenders in this tournament, and one of the undisputed favourites in this year’s ICC World T20. The reasons are pretty obvious for Sri Lanka, as they would be playing at home and would have prior knowledge of the pitches, the overhead
conditions and the manner in which they could devise strategies to win games on placid wickets. What goes in Sri Lanka’s favour and what other teams lack however, is that the team carries the ‘X’ factor. They boast some genuine match winners that could take
the game away from the opposition in a matter of minutes.
The most obvious example of a premier match winner is http://www.senore.com/Cricket/TM-Dilshan-c2691. His amazing wrist work, brute force and penchant for clearing the inner ring and smashing boundaries at will, has made him one of the most exciting players to have ever graced the
T20 format. Dilshan is as dangerous as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BB-McCullum-c1129 of New Zealand, as he is able to unleash strokes which could daze the bowlers. In a nutshell, he is the best batsman that Sri Lanka have managed to produce in the format,
and it is plausible to assume that he would play a key role in ensuring that Sri Lanka progress towards the finals of the tournament. With an average of nearly 30, and a breathtaking hundred against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 to his name, few would not believe that he is,
and will be the man that needs to be dislodged early, if the opposition is to have any chance of beating Sri Lanka. Dilshan’s canny off breaks and his electrifying fielding also adds to his reputation as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758’s best T20 player.
Continued in Part 2...
Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.

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