SL vs IND: Sri Lankan players listen to Shikhar Dhawan's inspiring speech

Although the Indian side was depleted in the last two T20I matches against Sri Lanka, the team gave a tough fight till the end and produced good cricket throughout the series. Close to none of the Men in Blue’s first-choice players were not available for selection, yet the ones who came in grabbed their opportunities and left a lasting impression.

Shikhar Dhawan, the stand-in captain during the series, was brilliant with his performance with the bat in hand as well as being the leader of the side. Known for his ever-smiling attitude and helping other players, Dhawan made sure to share his wisdom and thoughts with the Lankan players after the completion of the T20I series. Despite India being left to field an altogether different squad, they didn’t cancel the series and ensured the Sri Lankan board didn’t suffer any financial losses.

After the game, Dhawan was seen speaking to the Lankan players and sharing his experiences. Later the southpaw opened up about the conversation he had. “The Sri Lanka captain and players wanted to know about my process, so I told them, and I hope they enjoyed listening to it.”

#ShikharDhawan is absolutely awesome!

Imagine #Twitter, if this was #RahulDravid#SLvsIND #Respect

Video: @SDhawan25 pic.twitter.com/vnfsygJP7d

— Suvajit Mustafi 🏏🎬🇮🇳🇳🇿 (@RibsGully) July 29, 2021

Sri Lankan cricketers laud team India for continuing with the tour

Although Krunal Pandya’s news of testing positive came at the wrong time for team India, all the players rallied around Dhawan and head coach Rahul Dravid. There were speculations that the series might be called off, but instead, both boards went ahead and completed the remaining two games.

Throughout the six white-ball games, there were numerous instances of sportsmanship and good gestures from the Indian team. It all started with Dravid having a pep talk with the Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka. Later, Hardik Pandya gifted his spare bat to Chamika Karunaratne. The junior Pandya was caught singing the Sri Lankan national anthem during one of the games.

These heartwarming gestures from the Men in Blue were applauded by Lankan players, critics, and fans. Although the two teams don’t share the same intense rivalry as what was seen 10 years ago, the players though seem to have immense respect for each other during the series.