With the first-string Indian team preparing for the Test series in England, a second-string side will be heading to Sri Lanka in July with veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan as skipper and Rahul Dravid as the head coach.
And the head coach has said that he will try to use this opportunity to learn and improve further.
The Shikhar Dhawan-led team will play three ODIs and three T20Is against the hosts at the R Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo. The ODIs will take place on July 13, 16, and 18, while the T20Is will be played on July 21, 23, and 25.
While addressing the press conference before the tour, Rahul Dravid said that it’s exciting to be the coach of the Indian team as there are opportunities for everyone to learn and grow. He added that it’s also a good chance for him to improve.
"It's a great blend of experienced players and fresh players. As a coach, it's quite an exciting situation because you know if you create a good environment, everyone will learn a lot. We have to be together as a large group, there are opportunities to learn and grow.
“It's a good chance for me as well, as a coach you're always learning from every experience. You learn about yourself and about cricket. It's another opportunity for me to learn and improve. I'm quite excited,” Rahul Dravid said during the virtual press conference.
Dravid pointed out that a tour to Sri Lanka is crucial not only for Prithvi Shaw but all the other youngsters who are in the squad as they would be keen to impress the selectors with T20 World Cup in sight.
"It's crucial for a lot more people other than just Prithvi. Obviously, it is a crucial tour... (for someone like) Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, or a lot of the younger boys who have come on this trip and would be extremely keen to do well, and set a marker for the selectors.
“Whether they'll get selected in the T20 World Cup or not, that's a call that the selectors and the Indian team management will take, and you know what their plans and strategies are," he said.
Rahul Dravid further said that performing in Sri Lanka, albeit not important, will not automatically help players to get in the squad of the upcoming T20 World Cup and vice-versa.
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"But certainly, good performances in tours like this against international oppositions would certainly (help) anyone - whether it's Prithvi or so many other people. If you're able to put a marker down or if you're able to show that you can do it at this level against international quality opposition, that's certainly something that selectors will take note of.
“From that perspective, it's a crucial tour for a lot of people. It's an important tour, (but) at the end of the day... it doesn't mean if you don't have a good tour of Sri Lanka that you don't make it. And it doesn't mean that just because you do well against Sri Lanka you'll make it automatically [in the squad],” he concluded.
The Indian team is currently out of quarantine in a hotel in Mumbai and will reach Colombo on Monday (28th June).
(ANI inputs)
