'Welcome to the family' - Rahul Dravid's speech for ODI debutants Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav

Playing for country is a dream for any cricketer and two of India’s most talented players realised it on Sunday (July 18). Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav both made their One-Day International debuts in the first of the three-match series against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Both the players have already played in the T20Is for India in the series against England at home earlier this year.

Also, many expected for Sanju Samson to play ahead of Kishan but he sprained the ligament of his knee only to be unavailable for selection. This has now presented a good chance for Kishan as well as Surya to showcase their talent and impress ahead of the T20 World Cup to be played in the UAE later this year.

Following the rituals, there was a cap presentation before the start of the match as team India got into a huddle. India’s head coach for this tour Rahul Dravid welcomed both the debutants while also lauding their hard work and perseverance to make it to the highest level.

“It’s obviously a great achievement. It’s lovely to welcome two people into the family. It is a result of a lot of the hard work for each of these boys, not only for them but also for their families,” Dravid said while welcoming both Ishan and Surya.

Shikhar Dhawan hands ODI cap for birthday boy Ishan Kishan

Rahul Dravid’s little pep talk followed the cap presentation ceremony from the senior-most members of team India. Shikhar Dhawan, the skipper, handed the debut ODI cap to Ishan Kishan who is also celebrating his 23rd birthday and the celebration only doubled for him with a chance to represent India for the first time in the 50-over format.

The vice-captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar then came forward to hand over the ODI cap to the India’s arugably most outrageously talented batsman in Suryakumar Yadav. BCCI shared the video of Dravid’s speech and cap presentation ceremony soon after the match got underway in Colombo.

Here’s the video: