IND vs SL: "Unrealistic to expect everyone to get an opportunity in this short series"- Rahul Dravid
Team India's coach for the tour to Sri Lanka Rahul Dravid has stated that not every player from the 20-man squad might get an opportunity to play in the three-match ODI and T20I series. The Indian legend believes it is too short of a tour to experiment in and has asserted that the priority will be to win the series.
Under new captain Shikhar Dhawan, the newly-looked Indian team will be hitting the Lankan shores in July and it promises to be a highly exciting series. Coach Rahul Dravid is keen to get the boys ready and is aiming to get the most out of them to strengthen India's bench ahead of the T20 World Cup.
In a press conference, Rahul Dravid explained why it will be a difficult task to ensure game time for each and every player from the Indian squad.
"It’s slightly different (from India A tours). When you’re at the developmental level, the goal is different from this. We have a really good squad here, 20 players. It will be unrealistic to expect everyone to get an opportunity in this short series. We’ll come up with what we think is the best combination to win the series," Rahul Dravid asserted.
Rahul Dravid also believes this would be a great opportunity for youngsters to be groomed under a number of experienced Indian players.
"And then see along the way, there are plenty of youngsters, even if they don’t play, it’s a great opportunity for them to learn from seniors like Shikhar. It’s very different worlds - Under19 and A team and this," he added.
Playing two teams not long-term solution: Rahul Dravid
With the Indian first-string team preparing for the Test series in England, the BCCI made the decision to send a second-string side to Sri Lanka. Although this is convenient in the current circumstances, Rahul Dravid explained why it may be a topic of subjective discussion in the future.
"I’m not really sure if this is a long-term solution. There are a lot of stakeholders, going to involve boards, sponsors, media rights… so much goes into all of this. But in the short-term, this will ease the pressure. It’s getting difficult for the same set of players to go through all the restrictions that are there currently. In the long term, it will need a lot more discussion," Rahul Dravid signed off.