Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja was not happy with the way Sri Lanka players batted in the first match of the three-match T20I series against India. The hosts were bowled out for just 126, 38 runs short of their total and failed to put up a fight in their chase as well. Ramiz Raja also opened up on the lack of planning from the Sri Lankan batsmen that cost them the game also.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Ramiz Raja explained how Sri Lanka’s poor form, even in home conditions, has become a recurring issue when it comes to winning games.

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“When India scored 160-odd they would have expected to win, because you can expect Sri Lanka to frequently commit mistakes. You needed one-two partnerships and a batsman had to score 70-odd to win the game. But there was no strategy from this Sri Lankan team. If you can’t chase 160 at home, where will you? To bring new players in a losing environment is dangerous. So it is important for Sri Lanka to start preparing wickets that challenge India,” Ramiz Raja shared.

However, the former Pakistan player has been impressed with the way Indian batsman Suryakumar Yadav has started his international cricket. He scored a brilliant 50 off just 34 balls in the first T20I and also won the Player of the Series award in the ODIs as well. He also praised Suryakumar Yadav’s ability to bat and keep the momentum going despite the conditions was not being ideal for batting.

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“Suryakumar Yadav played a brilliant innings. It doesn’t seem that he is playing his first season for India because he has almost instantly announced himself on the international stage. To bat with a certain tempo and to improvise without taking risks is really difficult. He is almost ten steps ahead of the opposition, has a lot of options to attack and is a great find,” he concluded.