Rahul Dravid, who will coach India in the six limited-overs matches in Sri Lanka, wanted practice matches for the team before the real action. However, his request has been turned down due to COVID-19 protocols in place.
India will be travelling with the second-string squad for the series because the main players are away on England tour. The 20-member squad is currently in Mumbai and are undergoing strict quarantine. The players will have to undergo three days of quarantine in Sri Lanka as well.
Dravid was hoping to get his demand approved but he will have intra-squad games to prepare for the series.
“The Indians wanted to play some warm-up games against the A team or a team that could be arranged, but the COVID-19 protocols made that a little difficult and that is when a request went to BCCI to play intra-squad games. So, the Indian team will now play one T20 game and two one-day games to prepare for the limited-overs series,” a source said, as reported by News 18.
While Shikhar Dhawan will lead the side, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been appointed his deputy. The selectors have also picked six uncapped players in the squad.