India U19 team to travel to SL for World Cup preparation

Kolkata: Following their ongoing series against Afghanistan and Bangladesh here, India Under-19 team will travel to Sri Lanka for another tri-nation tournament ahead of the next year's World Cup in Bangladesh.

Former India captain and U19 coach Rahul Dravid today said besides the Sri Lanka tri-series next month, he has also suggested the BCCI to organize a few matches in January to shape the team ahead of the January 22-February 14 tournament.

"We go straight from here to Sri Lanka for a tri-series that also involves England, and I have requested the Board to try and organise some matches in January before we leave for the World Cup. Maybe we can get some more match practice," Dravid said.

India, who went in as defending champions, had a quarterfinal finish in the last World Cup in Dubai 2014.

"For the last couple of years there has not been a lot of U-19 cricket. We are a bit rushed in our preparation. In this tournament it is about giving people the opportunity and rotating the players. It is really creditable since 16 or 17 boys are playing U-19 cricket for the first time, compared to say Bangladesh who have been preparing for a really long time.

"Hopefully we will go to Sri Lanka to get some more matches and also organise another series just before the World Cup. And give them as many chances as possible to help them grow and also help us understand them and their combination because a lot of the players, we are also seeing for the first time."

In the ongoing tri-series one-day tournament, India have already sealed a final where they will face Bangladesh in the summit clash Sunday.