The entire tour of Sri Lanka has been a waste for India, reckons former Indian cricketer

India were up against Sri Lanka for the limited-overs series comprising of six games. The men in blue won the ODI series but lost the T20I series while playing with its depleted side. The visitors were marching up in all the confidence before the COVID-19 scare broke in their camp and they had to go up with their limited options. The guest side could have called off the series easily but Shikhar Dhawan and company tried their best to completed the series.

In the same line of events, former India Test cricketer Yajurvindra Singh ha stated that the entire Tour was a waste, and the Indian side just played the whole series in order to assist the Sri Lankan cricket board financially. Singh added that sending a B-side team to a nation is altogether not a good idea only. He added that there is a lot of difference between playing IPL and shining at the international level.

“The tour of Sri Lanka, involving three ODIs and an equal number of T20Is, has been a waste for India. The whole exercise was a goodwill gesture by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to help the Sri Lankan cricket board which is struggling financially. One appreciates being nice to one’s neighbour and to assist them in their hour of need, but one has to realize that national pride and prestige is at stake,” said Singh as quoted by News18.

India couldn’t have taken SL easily at any points, reckons former cricketer

The former cricketer also added that when all the points of the ODI games are being considered for the World Cup, a team cannot show generosity. Though Lanka wasn’t doing well in all these times, they couldn’t have been taken lightly at any point in time, reckoned the former cricketer.

“The Sri Lankan side has been at the bottom of the heap of the Test playing countries and therefore for beating them, one felt, a full-strength Indian side was not necessary,” concluded Singh.

After Krunal Pandya tested positive for COVID-19, close to nine players from the main Indian squad were sent into isolation and the series went ahead with a depleted Indian side.