Indian captain for the Sri Lankan team, Shikhar Dhawan, and the coach to travel with them, Rahul Dravid, addressed the media ahead of India’s tour to Sri Lanka.

The duo spoke about what these roles meant to them, the effects of the bio bubble, and how the team is preparing for the upcoming series. Below are the talking points of the press conference.

What is your advice to young players under the pressure of cementing a place in the Indian team?

Dravid: “There are a lot of members in the squad who are pushing for places or looking to cement their places in the T20 WC coming up. But I think the key goal really for everyone is to try and win the series. That is going to be the primary objective. Hopefully they take this opportunity to put in some good performances in the course of winning the series and give themselves a chance to knock on the selectors' doors.”

How does it feel to work with Rahul Sir and be the Indian Cricket Team’s captain?

Shikhar: “It’s a great honour for me to be the captain of the Indian team and looking forward to it. At the same time, I am excited to work with Rahul bhaiyya. I’ve played under his coaching before for India A, I was the captain there and we played against Bangladesh. I feel we sync together, the staff and the team, and we will build a positive and happy environment in which the boys can express themselves and give their best.”

It’s just these T20Is before the T20 World Cup. What is the significance of this series for the T20 World Cup? Is there communication between you and the management in England?

Dravid: “These are the only three games before the T20 World Cup. I’m sure the selectors and management would have a pretty fair idea by now as to what was the kind of squad they are looking for. There is also an IPL in the lead up to the T20 World Cup. In that sense, it gives only a few opportunities to people with just one or two spots to fill and give them a few more options.”

“I did have some contact with the management out there but we’ll probably discuss this with them in the next couple of weeks, get their thoughts and see what we can do the best for the T20 World Cup.”

What captaincy tips do you get from Rahul?

Shikhar: “We’re looking forward to creating a great bond between the players. We are spending a lot of time together off the field and we know that once the bond is there, we will achieve what we want. We are quite process oriented and we want to end this tour on a happy note.”

Is having two teams the future because of COVID restrictions?

Rahul: “I think this is a unique situation, in terms of the quarantine and the rules that have led to this. It’s very hard to predict even on a month on month basis given what’s happening. Obviously, if quarantine rules stay as strict as they are right now and travel is restricted, then at least for the short term, this might have to be followed. I’m not sure if it is a long term solution, it will need a lot more people to discuss this. For the short term, this is definitely great to ease the pressure on players.”

Against England, Virat took the approach of the top order playing much more freely. How was it and as a captain, do you want to continue it?

Shikhar: “I feel it is important for the top order to stay longer over there, especially if we’re talking of T20s, to give a good start and take that innings long from there. Of course, whatever the team demands, that’s how the players are going to play. We are going to discuss and play according to the situation and what the game needs. The boys know how to play their roles.”

People are calling this the second choice team, but the young team looks fantastic. Thoughts on that?

Shikhar: “The team is definitely excellent. Our team has a lot of positivity, confidence and faith that they will perform well. There is a lot of excitement at this new challenge and great opportunity for all of us to show our talent here. We’ve finished quarantining, so we’re eager to go out there and start preparing for it. There’s a lot of smart work going on in the unit. It’s a nice blend of youngsters and experienced players. It’s going to be a beautiful tour.”

For so long, you’ve taught junior college kids, now that you’re teaching post grad kids, how much fun is that going to be?

Rahul: “Like Shikhar said, it’s a great blend of experience and youth. There are players who will be playing for India for the first time. So, as a coach, it is quite an exciting situation because you know that if you can build the right environment then this is a great learning experience. When there are so many youngsters who have to be together as a large group, there are a lot of opportunities to grow as well. Really looking forward to that.”

“For me too, this tour is a learning opportunity. As a coach, you’re always learning. You get to learn from every experience you have, about yourself and about the game and it's coaching. This is another chance for me to get better and I’m very excited to work with the team.”

We’re super excited to watch this young team go out there and perform too. Wishing all the luck to the youngsters who will face Sri Lanka soon.