"Manish Pandey should have been named as captain of the Indian team for SL tour" - Dodda Ganesh [Exclusive]

Former India pacer Dodda Ganesh has expressed his dismay at Karnataka cricket star Manish Pandey being overlooked as captain after the country's 20-man squad for the Sri Lanka tour was announced last week.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Ganesh indicated that he was shocked to see Bhuvneshwar Kumar being named vice-captain of the side, considering the Indian pacer's recent fitness issues.

"If they were looking for seniority as a measure, Manish Pandey should have been named as captain of the Indian team for the Sri Lanka tour. How fit is Bhuvneshwar Kumar to play as vice-captain? Manish knows the players, he has travelled a lot too. If Dhawan is called as a back-up ahead of the England series, who will lead the team? In terms of seniority, Manish will then be handed over the reigns."

Pandey certainly has an impressive CV to his name, having led Karnataka to multiple titles in the domestic circuit. The 31-year-old also has a jaw-dropping record of registering 15 consecutive T20 wins in a single calendar year back in 2019, including back-to-back Syed Mushtaq Ali titles.

Ahead of the 2019 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Pandey even led India 'A' against a visiting South Africa 'A' side for three ODIs, and under his leadership, the hosts claimed a hat-trick of wins. During that tour, Pandey led from the front with the bat, scoring 133 runs from three matches at an average of 44.33, including a best score of 81.

Ganesh further mentioned how Sri Lankan wickets are tailor-made to suit Pandey's style of batting, and the right-hander should look to make the most of the opportunities he gets in the middle order.

"Manish Pandey hasn't got too many chances in the Indian team. He's done well in the matches he's played. The SL tour is tailor-made for him, he won't get a better opportunity than this."

"The way AB de Villiers plays for RCB, Manish should play that role for India. He is well-suited at N0.4 in both ODI and T2oIs. After the England series, the next opportunity will be only on flat tracks in the UAE in the IPL. This is a good opportunity for Manish to perform, make a comeback and push for a spot in the T20 World Cup squad."

Interestingly, Pandey has enjoyed a good time with the bat in Sri Lanka, averaging 92.50 in T20Is and 86 in ODIs. Although Pandey's only two ODIs in the island country came way back in 2017, his experience could come in handy in the middle order.

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"Can't ignore players based on one match" - Dodda Ganesh miffed by Shreyas Gopal's exclusion

Shreyas Gopal has performed well in the IPL

While Ganesh was happy to see the likes of Devdutt Padikkal and Krishnappa Gowtham get their due, he lamented how one bad match in the IPL could have influenced the selectors to overlook Shreyas Gopal's spot in the squad.

"I also don't know why they haven't picked Shreyas Gopal, he’s been very consistent in T20s, since he's arrived in the IPL. He was earlier in contention, but probably one bad match against Punjab this season proved to be his undoing. You can’t ignore players based on one match. Shreyas has missed out, they should have added him to the squad."

The 47-year-old also added that Ravikumar Samarth should have been rewarded for his consistent performances with a spot in the Indian squad. Samarth has notched up 1781 runs from 39 List A matches at an average of 53.96, and even amassed a mountain of runs in the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy as Karnataka captain.

Ganesh quipped that he feels the selectors are more inclined to pick players who impress in the IPL than those who perform on the domestic circuit.

"Samarth has also scored a lot of runs, they could have named him for the ODIs. If Dhawan is called to England or picks up an injury, he's an able backup. They should have picked Samarth, it just seems like they’ve picked the side purely based on the IPL."

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"Important tour for Rahul Dravid as well" - Dodda Ganesh on India's coach

Rahul Dravid will travel with the Indian team as the head coach for the Sri Lanka tour

Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid's appointment as head coach for the Sri Lanka tour has been one of the focal points in recent discussions, and for no small measure. The former Test captain has been heralded for producing the best of Indian cricket prodigies, and Ganesh feels his presence will be a massive shot in the arm for the whole squad.

"Dravid is a role model, he’s a legend. Players will be motivated by Dravid amidst them. His presence will motivate the players by at least an extra 20%. Even if a certain player fails, if Dravid goes and speaks to them, they will be back on track, and that's why a good coach is important."

While Dravid has reportedly declined offers to coach the Indian national team in the past, Ganesh feels a good Sri Lanka tour could propel the former's chances of landing a head coach role in the future.

"This tour is important for Dravid as well, if he wants to be a coach in the future. He will need to produce results. There's no clarity around Shastri's role, anything can happen in England. If Rahul produces results, he could be a head coach."

"He will have broad views, and clear results in mind. Especially for youngsters, this is a good opportunity to have Dravid as coach. He’s watched everyone closely through his role at the NCA (National Cricket Academy), he knows the players inside out even with respect to their fitness, which is a very important aspect."

In what will be Dravid's first assignment as Indian team coach - albeit with a 'second-string side' - all eyes will be on how the legend picks an XI out of what is a squad that can rightly be termed an 'embarrassment of riches'.