SL vs IND 2021: "We had a lot of interaction and now we have good chemistry" - Shikhar Dhawan on his relationship with Rahul Dravid

Shikhar Dhawan has stated that he shares a "good chemistry" with Rahul Dravid. The southpaw has worked closely with Dravid since the latter was made director of the National Cricket Academy in 2019.

Dhawan further noted how he has worked under Rahul Dravid during India A's tour games in the past.

Shikhar Dhawan and Rahul Dravid have now teamed up together for India's upcoming limited overs series against Sri Lanka. While the Delhi batsman is the stand-in captain, Dravid has been named the stand-in coach of a young Indian team.

Speaking on the Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues', Dhawan explained how his relationship with Dravid has built up over the years:

"I have a good relation with Rahul Bhai. When I started playing Ranji Trophy, I played against him, and I have known him since then. When I went to play India A match, I was the captain, and he was the 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. And now we have the chance to play six matches together, so it will be great fun and I think we all sync nicely."

Ready for the big tour 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/OoYDfs6NNI

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) June 27, 2021

As many as six uncapped players have been named in the Indian team for the limited overs series against Sri Lanka. The tour will consist of three ODIs and three T20Is.

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"My idea is to keep everyone together and happy" - Shikhar Dhawan

When #TeamIndia wentLights ⚡️Camera 📸Action 🎬The excitement is building up ahead of the ODI series against Sri Lanka 👌 👌 #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/fo1HrkTR8B

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 14, 2021

As a senior member and captain of the side, Shikhar Dhawan explained that his goal is to keep everyone together and happy in the Indian squad. The 35-year-old is confident that his teammates will show great energy when they step onto the field for the first ODI in Colombo on July 18. Dhawan said:

"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. I am sure we will have great energy, and it will be seen when we play."

Shikhar Dhawan was last seen in action during the IPL where he was in blistering form for the Delhi Capitals (DC). In eight games in the first phase of IPL 2021, Dhawan smashed 283 runs at an average of 54.28, while his strike rate was 134.27. His heroics with the bat were one of the major reasons why the Capitals led the points table before the tournament was suspended.

High intensity and fully focused! Great first day of training in Sri Lanka 💪 pic.twitter.com/CFRewfCnoE

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 2, 2021