'I can't remember when any team took note of Sri Lanka players': SL great on Hardik Pandya's brutal 'Asia Cup' reminder

Ahead of the 1st T20I at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, Hardik Pandya refused to take Sri Lanka lightly and issued a brutal reminder of India's defeat in the Asia Cup, to which a Sri Lanka legend had a rather interesting reaction.

Before the India vs Sri Lanka series gets underway, here is a fun trivia – The Men in Blue have never lost a bilateral T20I series to the Lanka giants at home. The last time Sri Lanka won a T20I in India was back in 2016 and ever since, they have lost 11 games in a row. With India enjoying a dominating 17-8 record against Sri Lanka in T20Is, the odds, as expected, are in the home team's favour. Having said that, India's stand-in captain Hardik Pandya has not forgotten what happened the last time these two teams clashed. It was a Super 4 match at the Asia Cup, where Sri Lanka thumped India to eventually go on and win the title.

Hardik Pandya acknowledged Sri Lanka for the fighting unit that they are(ANI)

Ahead of the 1st T20I at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, Pandya refused to take Sri Lanka lightly and issued a brutal reminder of India's defeat in the Asia Cup. "Sir they took the game away from us in the Asia Cup. All the players that took the game away in the Asia Cup are the ones that are here. I am looking forward to make sure to stop them. They are a very exciting team. There is a lot of talent and emotion as well. What happened in their country in the past given them more motivation to be in the zone and ready to do anything and everything possible. They played like a group. Sri Lanka is a very good team and we hope that our clash entertains everyone," Pandya had said.

Reacting to the India captain's acknowledgment, former Sri Lanka all-rounder Russell Arnold welcomed Hardik's praise for the Lankans and pointed out his rare comments were like a sound of music to his ears.

"Well from a Sri Lankan point of view, that is a positive because for a long time I cannot remember when a opposition team took note of Sri Lankan players. Hardik is actually saying we got to stop these players and looking at certain players, otherwise Sri Lanka haven't been performing well and haven't given a message out that they can come out here and win. So the way Hardik is coming out and saying things, they are taking note. So Sri Lanka need to build on that, and counter attack," Arnold said on the Byju's Cricket Live Show on Star Sports.

"Just go out there and play the game they have been playing right through. Of course, Sri Lanka doesn't have x-factors like an Indian team, let's face it, maybe a Hasaranga. But as a team collectively, they are good. They all have to stand up and counter the threat especially the tactics of Hardik Pandya who will try to hit them hard and rock them early."