IND vs SL: 3 milestones Shikhar Dhawan can reach
Shikhar Dhawan is all set to lead the new-look Indian side against Sri Lanka in the upcoming limited-overs series, which starts on Sunday (July 18). The southpaw, with a new coach in Rahul Dravid at the helm, will be keen to clinch silverware during his stint as skipper of the side.
There are also a couple of milestones Dhawan can reach when he leads the side against the island nation. Ahead of the series, we take a look at some of the landmarks he can touch when the two sides meet.
Dhawan will become the oldest skipper to make his captaincy debut
At 35, the Delhi batsman will become the oldest skipper to take over the reins of the Indian team. Previously, the oldest player to lead India was Mohinder Amarnath (34) against Pakistan in 1984.
Also on the list are Syed Kirmani (33) against the West Indies in 1983 and Ajit Wadekar (33) vs England in 1974.
Shikhar Dhawan needs 17 runs to reach the 1000-run mark against SL in ODIs
Dhawan has stacked up 983 runs against Sri Lanka in ODIs. He needs 17 runs more to the 1000-mark against the island nation.
The other teams he has an impressive record against with the bat against are Australia (1265), West Indies (834) and South Africa (798).
Dhawan could score 6000 ODI runs
Shikhar Dhawan has 5977 runs in ODIs from 142 matches. He needs just 23 runs to breach the 6000-run mark.
The players ahead of him on the list include Virender Sehwag (7995) and Yuvraj Singh (8609).
Shikhar Dhawan must be eyeing a spot in the T20 World Cup: Mohammad Kaif
Former India player Mohammad Kaif felt the series, which also includes a T20 fixture, will give Shikhar Dhawan a chance to make a case for himself as an opener for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
"He is very excited to lead the side. He's been there for the last many years, he's been playing at his very best at the moment. He's been in fantastic form in the IPL. This tour as a player and as a captain is very important for Shikhar Dhawan and then the IPL coming up in the UAE is very, very important."
Kaif added:
"He (Shikhar Dhawan) must be eyeing a spot in the T20 World Cup and deservedly so, he has done so well in the last 2-3 years in the IPL and domestic cricket. He was at his best last year when he got back-to-back centuries in the UAE. He's still consistently hitting 600-700 runs in the IPL."