Aim is to give team management more options: Rahul Dravid shares agenda for Sri Lanka tour

Rahul Dravid is travelling with the Indian team for the tour of Sri Lanka in the role of a coach. The squad for the limited-overs set-up comprises of game-changers like Sanju Samson, Prithvi Shaw, Ishan Kishan, Devdutt Padikkal, and more such names. These players will be looking to make a mark in the series and emerge as reliable options considering the discussion over players for the T20 World Cup squad. Dravid who is the head of the NCA as well, stated that the goal was to win the series in Sri Lanka. At the same time, he also wanted to provide the team management with some strong candidates for the T20 World Cup squad.

“When you are in a developmental level or working at the pathway level, the goals are different. We have a really different goal here. It’s a short series so it won’t be possible to give everyone an opportunity. The selectors are there and we’ll come up with what we think is the best combination to try and win the series. There are a lot of young kids and this will be a great experience for them even if they don’t play just the opportunity to be with the Indian team and interact with the likes of [Shikhar] Dhawan, Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar], and other senior players. They can learn a lot. In principle, there are a lot of youngsters on this tour and a lot of them will get an opportunity. Will everyone get an opportunity? Probably with a squad of 20 is a bit unrealistic,” said Dravid while speaking at an online press conference as quoted by Cricbuzz.

“This series gives may be an opportunity for one or two places”

“These are only three games before the World T20. I’m sure the selectors and the management would have a pretty fair idea by now as to what is kind of squad they are looking for. Before the T20 World Cup, there is the IPL. In that sense, this series gives may be an opportunity for maybe one or two places… give them a few more options. You can’t read too much into it as well. There might be that odd spot and people could raise their hands during these T20 games. We have a couple of selectors travelling with us. We’ll touch base with the management in the next couple of weeks. I’ve had a little bit of contact with them but didn’t disturb them during the World Test Championship. We’ll touch base and see what their thoughts are and what ideas they have, and see if we can implement that in these T20 games,” added Dravid.

The former Indian cricketer believes that the tour of Sri Lanka will be crucial for players like Shaw, Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad,

“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,” concluded Dravid.