Former Indian batsman VVS Laxman believes that the upcoming series against Sri Lanka will be an opportunity for the youngsters to understand the standard they would need to maintain to get more chances in the future.
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As the regular players are in England to play a 5-match Test series against the hosts, the likes of Chetan Sakariya, Devdutt Padikkal, Krishanppa Gowtham, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Nitish Rana have been named in the 2-man squad. The team will be led by Shikhar Dhawan and coached by former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid.
While speaking on the Star Sports network, Laxman said that the upcoming series will be a great learning experience for the new faces of the Indian team.
“The time they will spend with Rahul Dravid and the Indian team in Sri Lanka, they will come to know about the standards to be maintained, with what intensity you need to train and prepare.
“They can learn as well, they will spend time with Shikhar Dhawan, you will get time with an all-rounder like Hardik Pandya and young bowlers like Sakariya will get a chance with established bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar. So, these youngsters will get to learn a lot, that itself is a big bonus,” Laxman said.
{{/usCountry}}“They can learn as well, they will spend time with Shikhar Dhawan, you will get time with an all-rounder like Hardik Pandya and young bowlers like Sakariya will get a chance with established bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar. So, these youngsters will get to learn a lot, that itself is a big bonus,” Laxman said.
{{/usCountry}}Laxman further lauded his former teammate Dravid and IPL for powering India’s bench strength, helping the BCCI field two different teams at the same time.
“Not only excited but very proud. If you see the last last two years, the emergence of a strong bench strength has been a special thing. The main reason for that is the robust first-class cricket we have got, the India A program under Rahul Dravid, IPL has played a major role and so did the NCA,” said Laxman.
“I don't think these are inexperienced players, they are all experienced T20 players, they give important contributions for their franchise. I feel they are rewarded for their good performances. That itself is a big thing. You want the India cap when you perform consistently well in the IPL and domestic cricket,” he added.
The Dhawan-led Team India takes on Sri Lanka in the first of the three ODIs on July 13 in Colombo.