Shikhar Dhawan would be leading for the first time in his career in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. The series, which was originally scheduled to start from July 13, had to be postponed because of COVID-19 positive reports within the Sri Lankan camp. Dhawan, in charge of a squad without the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, would have a point to prove as his side comprises of a beautiful blend of youth and experience. Apart from trying to impress with his leadership qualities, Dhawan would also be in the spotlight for his performances with the bat. With a lot of competition in the Indian top-order, a strong Dhawan show with the bat can almost guarantee his spot at the top in the long-run. India vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI 2021, Rain Forecast & Weather Report From Colombo: Check Pitch Report of Premadasa International Cricket Stadium

Apart from being the oldest skipper to make lead the Indian team at 35 years of age, Dhawan can also tick off some milestones from this series against Sri Lanka, with the first ODI beginning on Sunday, July 18. Here's a list of milestones that the man they can 'Gabbar' can achieve in the ODI series against Sri Lanka:

1) With 5,977 runs in ODIs, Dhawan needs 23 more runs to reach the 6000-run mark in ODIs which would make him the 10th batsman to achieve this feat.

2) If he scores those 23 runs at the R Premadasa Stadium, he could also become the second fastest Indian to this record, overtaking none other than former skipper and current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. Kohli is currently the fastest amongst Indians to the milestone in 136 innings with Ganguly following him, having done it in 147 innings. Dhawan stands a golden opportunity to surpass the former Indian great as he could reach it in 140 innings.

3) Globally, he would be the fourth fastest batsman to achieve this milestone of 6000 ODI runs and would be part of a list topped by Hashim Amla (123 innings) and followed by Kohli (136 innings) and Kane Williamson (139 innings).

4) He would also be the 25th captain to lead India in ODI cricket.

5)  Dhawan needs just 35 more to reach 10000 runs international cricket , which would make him the 14th Indian to achieve this feat.

6) The southpaw also needs 17 more runs to score 1000 ODI runs against Sri Lanka.  He has so far scored 983 runs against them at an average of 70.21.

Dhawan's performance would be one of the most important factors for India in not just the ODI series but also the T20Is. Backed by coaching staff headed by the great Rahul Dravid, India would be the favourites to win the ODI series and if Dhawan shines with the bat, the result in all likelihood would favour India.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2021 08:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).