Rahul Dravid happy to have 'some options' as India look to crack the ICC code

The series against Afghanistan was India’s last chance to experiment as it was their final T20I appearance ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is slated to begin on June 1. The Men in Blue tried a lot of players in the recently concluded series but as per head coach Rahul Dravid, there are still some slots that need to be filled. 

The former cricketer mentioned that the players will be closely monitored in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League and a decision will be made based on their form in the tournament. He believes that the team needs to make certain adjustments and they are thinking about the same.

“We've had different people play after the last ODI World Cup for a variety of reasons. But I think it's just nice to see that there are some options (ahead of the World Cup) who have put their hand up, and certainly shown that they've got skills to address. Some areas we might need some addressing in, and we were thinking about it,” Dravid said in his post-match press conference.

“Unfortunately, we really won't have much cricket as a team anymore. We will obviously have the IPL, and you know, everyone will be watching closely to see how some of those guys play and what are the slots we need to fill in the team,” he added.

Dube is certainly very much an improved player after coming back: Dravid

Dravid is also highly impressed with Shivam Dube’s performance in the T20I series against Afghanistan. The flamboyant batter registered back-to-back half-centuries in the first and second T20I, which also helped him win the Player of the Series award. Speaking about the all-rounder, Dravid mentioned that he is a very much improved player after coming back into the team.

“He's come back after a long time. He's certainly very much an improved player after coming back. There's no doubt that he always had the talent, but just really happy to see the way he performed in the series. I'm sure it will give him a lot of confidence as well, you come back in and play a series and you become the man of the series. It's great and has certainly put his hand up,” Dravid said.