Shikhar Dhawan on Rahul Dravid: We have good chemistry

Shikhar Dhawan. Pic/PTI

Handed the captaincy for the Sri Lanka tour, Shikhar Dhawan's idea of leadership is all about keeping the flock together and in a good state of mind. The left-handed opener was given the reins of the team after Virat Kohli and other key players were sent to England for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the five-Test series against the hosts.

Sri Lanka's limited overs tour, comprising three ODIs and as many T20Is, will begin on July 18 in Colombo. "It is a big achievement for me that I have become the captain of the Indian side. As a leader, my idea is to keep everyone together and happy - that is the most important thing," Dhawan said on Star Sports show, Follow the Blues.

Rahul Dravid. Pic/Suresh Karkera

"We have got a lovely bunch of boys, great support staff, and we have worked [together] earlier as well." Dhawan said he shares a good chemistry with legendary Rahul Dravid, who is the head coach for the series. "I have a good relationship with Rahulbhai. When I started playing Ranji Trophy, I played against him, and I have known him since then. When I went to play India ‘A' matches, I was captain, and he was coach, so there was interaction. When he became the Director of NCA, we used to go there for around 20 days, so we had a lot of interaction, and now we have good chemistry. Now that we have the chance to play six matches together, it will be great fun, and I think we all sync nicely," he said.

The selectors have picked many uncapped players, including the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Chetan Sakariya, and Dhawan wants the youngsters to enjoy their journey.
"Happy to get the youngsters in the team and see their dreams come true. It's a big thing that these youngsters have come from their respective hometowns with certain dreams, and their dreams are getting fulfilled.

"And now, they should enjoy the journey which landed them in Team India. They should know the value of their strength and how to improve it," he said. Dhawan said that seniors and youngsters from the squad will learn from each other: "There are seniors in the team, so the youngsters will learn from them, and we will get to learn from them."

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