You are not selected to warm the bench or relax: Rahul Dravid on Indian squad in Sri Lanka
Rahul Dravid instilled faith in the newcomers of India, selected to participate in a limited tour of Sri Lanka. David believes that all of them are good enough to be in the XI century of India.
Rahul Dravid had promised youngsters a chance in the Indian team on the tour of Sri Lanka. While some of the uncapped players might have had to wait for an opportunity, Krunal Pandya’s Covid-positive report, but the situation gave India the platform to field four debutants in the 2nd T20I against Sri Lanka. Asked about the quality of players in the squad, India’s stand-in head coach Rahul Dravid was all but praise for the players.
Speaking to the broadcast Sony Sports Network, Dravid was asked to shed light on the players selected in the Indian XI for the 2nd T20I.
“It has turned out that way [giving chances to youngsters]. We tried to do that in the ODIs as well, trying to give a few people a chance. [Leading the series 2-1, India had handed five debuts in the final ODI],” said the head coach.
Though the squad has been categorised as a ‘B-team’ or ‘C-team’, Dravid is of the opinion that if a player is selected in the tour squad, he is always good enough to play in the XI.
“I believe if you are selected to play for India, you should be good enough to be in the XI. I don’t think the selectors select you to warm the benches or for a holiday. At least, that’s not the message I have been given. Looking at each one of the 20 players who have been selected for this tour have got the sheer weight of performances,” said Dravid.
Batting first, India had set a below-par total of 132 runs on the board. Sri Lanka needed to dig deep in order to chase the target. The Lankans lost 6 wickets before finally overhauling India’s total in 19.4 overs.
The third and final T20I between the two teams will be played on Thursday in Colombo.
