Lanka tour will be good exposure outing: coach Rajput

Chennai, July 15 (UNI) India Under-19 teams coach Lalchand Rajput said the junior side's forthcoming Sri Lanka tour would be a good exposure trip for the boys and would help in the side's prepations for next year's Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia.

''The tour would be a good exposure for the boys. Besides, it would also serve as good preparation for the Under-19 World Cup to be played in Malaysia in January next year,'' Rajput told UNI.

The 15-member Under-19 squad left here for Colombo for a 24-day Sri Lanka tour which begins on July 19 with the first match of the triangular series featuring the host and Bangladesh as the third team.

Rajput also told UNI that after the triangular series, the team would play two three-day 'Test' matches against the host.

Asked about the mainstays of the team, Rajput said, ''Every player is a key player. It is a good team.'' He said all-rounder Rajendar Jadeja, batsmen Tanmay Srivatsav, Virat Kohli, Abhinav Mukund and Saurav Tiwari would all be looking for good performances. Apart from them the squad also has two talented slow bowl bowlers in left armer Abdulah and off-spinner G V S Prasad.

Just before the tour the squad also underwent a preparatory camp here at the M A Chidambaram stadium.

The team will return home on August 12, Rajput added.

UNI