Sri Lanka opt to bat against India in ODI opener

Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to bat against India Friday in the first of three one-day internationals.

India's ODI team is boosted by the return of captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as the top guns take the field at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium.

Both Rohit and Kohli retired from T20 internationals after India's World Cup triumph in Barbados in June, and the team won that format series 3-0 in Sri Lanka on Tuesday under Suryakumar Yadav, who is not in the 50-over side.

Sri Lanka replaced their ODI skipper Kusal Mendis with T20 captain Asalanka.

The home side handed an international debut to pace bowler Mohammed Shiraz and come in with a six-five batsman-bowler combination at a venue, which had rain earlier in the day.

Sri Lanka pace bowlers Matheesha Pathirana (shoulder) and Dilshan Madushanka (hamstring) were ruled out of the series with injuries in a blow to the hosts.

They also missed Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara and Dushmantha Chameera during the T20 leg of the series due to injury and illness.

For India, KL Rahul returns as wicketkeeper-batsman and Shreyas Iyer also makes a comeback.

Rohit called the selections a "pretty decent balance".

Teams

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka (capt), Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Akila Dananjaya, Asitha Fernando, Mohamed Shiraz

India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

Umpires: Joel Wilson (WIS), Raveendra Wimalasiri (SRI)

TV Umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS)

Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)