Hardik Pandya or Shikhar Dhawan could lead India in absence of Shreyas Iyer on Lanka tour

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan or all-rounder Hardik Pandya could lead team India in the white-ball series that is slated to be played against Sri Lanka in July. According to news agency PTI, a BCCI official has revealed that selectors could pick Dhawan or Hardik to lead the Indian contingent in Sri Lanka in case Shreyas Iyer doesn't recover fully by the time. The source told PTI that Shreyas Iyer remains the first-choice skipper for selectors but in case his fitness becomes an issue, Dhawan or Hardik could lead the Indian squad for the series. 

"In case Shreyas was available, he would have been the automatic choice for captaincy. Shikhar has had two very good IPL including this curtailed one and being the senior-most among those who are available for selection, he is a very strong contender. Also, he has been a solid performer for India for the past eight years. Yes, Hardik hasn’t been regularly bowling for MI or India in recent times. However, he is the man with x-factor and among the options available. He is miles ahead of his peers in terms of being an impact performer. And who knows, maybe extra responsibility brings the best out of him," the BCCI source was quoted as saying by PTI. 

Dravid as India coach?

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has confirmed that India will play a limited-overs series against Sri Lanka in July. BCCI is expected to field a squad of "white ball specialists" in order to clear its selection doubts for the T20 World Cup later this year. While the board is yet to name the squad and the management staff, speculations around the interim substitute of head coach Ravi Shastri have already begun. It is being said that former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid will travel with the team as a coach, but the BCCI is yet to confirm or deny the rumours. 

Meanwhile, the Indian Test squad lead by Virat Kohli will remain put in England for a five-match Test series against the host after the WTC final in June. The Indian Test team is expected to fly to the United Kingdom earlier next month to play in the inaugural final of the World Test Championship (WTC) against New Zealand, which will take place from June 18 to June 22. The team will continue to train in England for the entirety of July before commencing the Test series against the three lions. 

IMAGE: PTI