Rahul Dravid is set to make his head coaching stint in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. He said that the next month’s white-ball tour to Lanka can only get 1-2 new players a spot in the World Cup squad for team India.
Dravid stated that hw will personally speak to the management in England over next couple of days about the requirements for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
“These are the only three [T20] games before the T20 World Cup. I am sure the selectors and management would have a fair idea by now as to what kind of squad they are looking for T20 World Cup…Can’t read too much into it (the Sri Lanka series). There might be the odd spots and people might raise their hands up and knock on the doors,” he said and confirmed that a couple of selectors will travel to Sri Lanka for the series which comprises three ODIs (July 13-18) and three T20 Internationals (July 21-25).
“I haven’t disturbed them (Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri) during WTC but will touch base with them over the next couple of weeks and see what they are thinking,” he added.
The 48-years-old has also said that he is confident for the young Indian team to make their mark in Sri Lanka.
“There are a lot of people in the squad pushing for places or looking to cement their places in the T20 World Cup coming up but I think the key goal of the squad, and we have had a discussion around it, is to try and win the series,” he added.
“The primary objective is to win the series. Hopefully, we will get the opportunity to put in good performances in the course of us trying to win the series, [the players] give themselves the best chance to hopefully knock on the doors of the selectors,” he added.
The former India captain said that the tour will be crucial for not just Prithvi Shaw but also others like Devdutt Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
“It is crucial for a lot more people other than just Prithvi. Obviously, crucial to Padikkal, Gaikwad, a lot of younger boys who have come on this trip. They would be extremely keen to do well and set a marker for selectors. Whether they will get selected for the T20 World Cup or not, that is a call the selectors or team management have to take,” he said.
“But certainly good performances on tours like this against international opposition, if you are able to put a marker down or show that you have the ability to do that against international quality opposition, that is certainly something the selectors will take note of. From that perspective, it is a crucial tour,” he said.
India is set to play 3 T20s and 3 ODIs in Sri Lanka starting July 13.