IPL auction will come every year not World Cup: Rahul Dravid to India U-19 boys

India U-19 skipper Prithvi Shaw en route his unbeaten 57 against PNG in Tauranga, New Zealand last week. PIC/GETTY IMAGES

India coach Rahul Dravid expects his boys to have full focus on their ICC U-19 World Cup campaign and not get distracted by the IPL auction. India play their quarter-final match against Bangladesh today. Captain Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Himanshu Rana, Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Arshdeep Singh and Harvik Desai are the squad members who will be in the auction to be held on Saturday and Sunday in Bangalore.

Rahul Dravid

"There's no point hiding from the fact that it is there. It is around the corner," Dravid was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. Dravid said the IPL auction will come every year but not everyday one gets a chance to play the World Cup. "The auction is not something the boys can control. One or two auctions won't have a long-term impact on their careers. There is an auction every year, but not every year will they have an opportunity to play for India in possibly a World Cup semi-final. That doesn't come very often."

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