Watch: Shikhar Dhawan has an intense net session on the eve of first ODI against Sri Lanka

The ODI series against Sri Lanka is the first full-fledged series for Shikhar Dhawan as captain of the Indian cricket team. The veteran opener will look to lead the side from the front by performing well with the bat. Dhawan is working hard in the nets ahead of the series.

Dhawan recently shared a post on his Instagram handle, which gave fans a glimpse into his preparations for Sunday's showdown.

In the first slide, Dhawan can be seen warming up for a practice session. The following slide has a mini video clip. Dhawan appeared to be in pristine form as he timed the ball to perfection for the duration of the clip.

Shikhar Dhawan captioned the post:

"Preparations done. Now it’s time to go out there and get the job done 💯 🇮🇳."

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be the deputy to the Indian opener on this tour. On a personal level, Dhawan also has a chance to get in contention for a slot in the T20I World Cup if he performs well in the upcoming series. It is also a good opportunity for youngsters like Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal, and Suryakumar Yadav to showcase their skills on an international platform.

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Shikhar Dhawan should make the best possible use of matches against Sri Lanka: WV Raman

KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma are currently higher in the pecking order when it comes to the Indian opening combination in T20I cricket. Even Virat Kohli had stated earlier this year that he might open the innings to accommodate aggressive batsmen like Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan in the middle order.

This means time is running out for Shikhar Dhawan in the shortest format in international cricket. While speaking to TOI, WV Raman opined that Shikhar Dhawan needs to score big in the upcoming series to make a case for himself to get selected for the ICC T20 World Cup in October.

"For Shikhar, it is a case of retaining his competitive edge, waiting and watching as to how things pan out. Unlike others, Shikhar needs to be a bit more patient and needs to try and ensure that he makes the best possible use of these matches and put the ball in the selectors’ court,” said WV Raman.

Gabbar aur uske Sher 🦁 Boys are excited to get going 👊🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/fmhsMPP8uP

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 16, 2021