"Have to be careful"- Irfan Pathan names Sri Lankan stars who can prove to be threat to India in coming series

India has chosen a young team for the shorter format, with Hardik Pandya as captain. Meanwhile, all the seniors are back in ODIs, and Rohit Sharma will be leading the team. On the other hand, Sri Lanka has also chosen a strong side for the tour.

The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has picked mostly those players who were part of the team when Sri Lanka beat India in the Asia Cup 2022. That's why the hosts can't take the visitors lightly. Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan also reckons that Sri Lanka can give India a tough time in the coming series.

He also named a Sri Lankan star who can prove to be very dangerous for Team India. On the cricket show "Follow the Blues" on Star Sports, he said that Sri Lanka is a strong team and that they have proved that in the Asia Cup.

Irfan said, "I really feel that Kusal Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga as well as Lahiru Kumara - who has got express pace, Maheesh Theekshana - these four-five guys can be real threats. Their captain Dasun Shanaka, I quite like that pick, he is fearless. He has got that long handle as well when he bats."

In the last meeting between the two teams, Sri Lanka clinched a thrilling victory by six wickets. It was the game of the Super Four in the 2022 Asia Cup, and skipper Dasun Shanaka ended up winning the "Man of the Match," who scored an unbeaten 18-ball 32 and also picked up two wickets.

Furthermore, the former all-rounder also lauded Hardik Pandya as a captain. He said that the Indian stand-in captain had done a good job whenever he had been given the captaincy, even in the IPL, where he was excellent while captaining the Gujarat Titans.

However, the former all-rounder said that if India is looking to appoint Hardik as a long-term captain, the major issue will be his fitness, and it will be a big question going forward whether he will be fit enough to play all games for India in such a packed schedule.