“Welcome skipper, you are looking smart,” Virender Sehwag quipped, seeing Tillakaratne Dilshan in formals as they prepared to head for a dinner at the Sri Lankan President’s house.

The Sri Lankan livewire has been appointed captain for the T20 game against India on February 10, and both Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are pleased for their IPL team mate. “Now we have three skippers in the Delhi team — me, Vettori and Dilshan,” Sehwag said.

Dilshan had scored a 26-ball 31 in the third one-dayer in Colombo, as Sri Lanka looked to chase an unlikely 364 to keep the series alive. “Whether its 363 or just 63, he plays the same way,” Gautam Gambhir said. “He keeps the mid-on fielder on his toes.”

Dilshan’s accidental promotion to the opening slot — and his dramatic success against Pakistan — has a strong Delhi connection, Dilshan admits. “Viru and Gauti are good friends, and during the IPL, we really hit it off well. I am inspired by them and have tried to learn a few things from them about batting as an opener.

“We discussed various gameplans to attack the bowlers during the IPL that I have been using recently to good effect,” he said.

Dilshan though, is convinced he cannot hit the ball in the manner Sehwag does, and advises young batsmen — and experienced ones as well — not to try and copy his shots. “Viru is a very special player and there are shots that only he can play, if you try and copy that you will get out.”

... contd.