IND vs SL 2021: "He's not called Gabbar for nothing" - Chetan Sakariya on Shikhar Dhawan

Chetan Sakariya has said that 'Gabbar' is an apt sobriquet that has been given to Shikhar Dhawan.

Team India will play six limited-overs internationals, including three ODIs and three T20Is, during their tour of Sri Lanka. Chetan Sakariya is one of the uncapped players in the 20-member Indian squad, with Dhawan captaining the country for the first time.

During an interaction on the Star Sports show Follow the Blues, Chetan Sakariya lauded Dhawan's humility and friendly nature and said:

"The whole of India knows what sort of player he [Dhawan] is, he is not called Gabbar for nothing. I have met him few times and spoken to him, he is a genuine person. I admire him a lot because he is so down to earth even after being at such a level and jokes around with everyone."

The left-arm pacer also named Bhuvneshwar Kumar as his idol in the Indian team. Chetan Sakariya elaborated:

"I like Bhuvneshwar Kumar's thinking a lot. I met him in the IPL this time when we played against each other. I asked him about the difficulty I was facing and he explained it to me very nicely. So it made an impression in my mind, that his thinking is very positive. So I will look up to him in this series."

Dream. Come. True. 🇮🇳Chetan Sakariya receives his maiden national call-up and will join his Royals skipper Sanju Samson for India’s tour of Sri Lanka. 👏 #HallaBol | #TeamIndia | @IamSanjuSamson pic.twitter.com/tqSb5kFaQo

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) June 10, 2021

The Saurashtra seamer will hope to get a chance to share the new ball with Bhuvneshwar Kumar during the white-ball series against Sri Lanka. However, the more experienced Deepak Chahar might get the nod ahead of him. The first ODI will be played at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on July 13.

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Chetan Sakariya on his learnings from the IPL

Chetan Sakariya gave a decent account of himself in IPL 2021 [P/C: BCCI]

Chetan Sakariya also spoke about his learnings from his stint with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2021. The 23-year-old explained:

"Firstly, I got confidence from the IPL. Because of that, you start enjoying your game. So I learned to enjoy my game this year. Also met several new people and got to know their culture. These are the three new things I learned this year."

Sakariya has scalped seven wickets in as many IPL 2021 matches he has played for the Rajasthan Royals so far. He had an acceptable economy of 8.22 and showed his prowess both with the new ball and at the death.

Exclusive: Rajasthan Royals (RR) youngster Chetan Sakariya talks about his initial struggles and upcoming goals following his stellar debut in IPL 2021.https://t.co/A6Uj1B0ymw

— Sportskeeda India (@Sportskeeda) April 13, 2021