Six uncapped players in the squad might make it seem that India has come with an inexperienced group for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka, but tour vice-captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar said it is not the case as the entire lot has the requisite confidence thanks to the IPL.
India team vice-captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowls during an intra-squad match in Colombo
Colombo:
With major stars like skipper Virat Kohli and his limited-overs deputy Rohit Sharma in England for an upcoming Test series, the India team for the assignment against Sri Lanka is being led by opener Shikhar Dhawan and features half a dozen uncapped players.
Many of them impressed in the suspended Indian Premier League and have been rewarded with their maiden India call-up. They include Devdutt Padikkal, pacer Chetan Sakaria, Nitish Rana, Krishnappa Gowtham, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Varun Chakravarthy.
“We have good players and they have experience of the IPL. They are young, but they have experience of IPL, playing T20 for so many years. They have done well for their teams,” Bhuvneshwar said on Star Sports show ‘Follow the Blues’.
“So, it will be beneficial for the team that they will carry the confidence of the IPL. They are young and talented, there is a good mix with the experienced players. This will be a good tour.
“Young players have come for their first tour and have come after doing well in the IPL. So if they do well here, then it will be great for their confidence,” he added.
The senior pacer had suffered a thigh muscle injury during last year’s IPL, which ruled him out of the league as well as the tour of Australia earlier in 2021.
The bowler made a return to the national squad after a long injury lay-off in the limited-overs home series against England in March. He said that playing domestic cricket has helped him stay motivated.
“When I almost recovered, domestic cricket was going on. So, my focus was to get fit and make a comeback. Then, I started the preparation for the matches,” said Bhuvneshwar.
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