Shikhar Dhawan, the senior India cricketer will likely play a role at the 2023 World Cup. But what lies beyond that, he is not sure of. Indian cricket is nearing another transitional period. The team management is already shaping the youngsters to be stars of tomorrow as, after the 2023 World Cup, certain seniors are expected to call time on one or two formats.
Years ago, when Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Virender Sehwag retired, their places were taken up by Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rohit Sharma. Almost 10 years later which saw these men turn into legends, another change in guard is inevitable.
Shikhar Dhawan Would Like To Be An Asset, Not A Liability
The shift has already begun. Virat Kohli is being given rest, and in his absence, youngsters are being tried out. Similarly, Rohit Sharma the captain too is at times given breaks to manage his workload and skip the low-profile tournaments.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who once was an inevitable part of all three formats of India, now plays only one despite being in form and prime fitness. In fact, Shikhar Dhawan, who played his last Test in 2018 and is performing consistently in the IPL, is being repeatedly ignored from India’s T20I setup.
“Till the time I am playing for India, I would like to be an asset and not a liability. I am a calm, matured person. The performance is a reflection of my experience. My basics have been pretty strong and I have put in a lot of work to improve my technique. Understanding a format is also very important. I understand the dynamics of ODI format and that has helped me a lot,” Shikhar Dhawan said.
“I never let this feeling creep into my system that “Oh God, I am playing only one format or I am playing an ODI series after a long time. Will my body respond well to the rigours of international cricket or will it not? Frankly speaking, I don’t like entertaining these thoughts.
“I view it like this. If I am playing a format after a gap of two months or three months, it always gives me a chance to remain fresh and come into battle fully fit, and with enough time to work on my game.”
While Shikhar Dhawan played T20Is for India in July 2021, he has been among the runs in the IPL. Yet, a T20I call back continues to elude him.
Punjab Kings bought the southpaw Shikhar Dhawan, the 1st name at IPL 2022 auctions, for a whopping Rs 8.25 crores. Shikhar Dhawan was the 2nd highest run-scorer in IPL 2020 (618 runs) and became the only batsman to hit 2 back-to-back tons in IPL history playing for Delhi Capitals. He scored 587 runs in IPL 2021. He scored 460 runs this season averaging 38.33.
Shikhar Dhawan Feels He’s Fitter Than Ever Before Even At 36 Years Of Age
In ODIs though, Shikhar Dhawan has been a different beast altogether, having scored 971 runs from 22 ODIs since the beginning of 2020, and will be hoping to build on it when he leads Team India in Zimbabwe. At 36 for an opening batter to perform this well is something not many would have imagined.
“I am always counting my blessings and if I am playing one format for India, I should try and make the most of it and give it my all. I am a very positive person. You won’t find a negative bone in my body.
“I think now, at 36, I am fitter than ever before and also skill-wise, I have gotten better. Gym sessions, skill sessions, running and yoga, these four things are core aspects of my training,” he added.
Even though Shikhar Dhawan has done well in ODIs as well as IPL, the Indian team management seems to have taken a final call on him regarding T20Is. With Rohit Sharma being one incumbent opener, the likes of KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, and Deepak Hooda are well ahead of Shikhar Dhawan in the pecking order.
When it comes to his stats in T20Is alone, he has scored an outstanding 1,759 runs at a decent average of 27.92. He has scored 11 fifties in just 66 innings, in which he has smacked 191 boundaries and 50 sixes.
However, Shikhar Dhawan was dropped from the 2021 T20I World Cup squad and his international appearances have since been limited to ODIs. His last T20I match came in Sri Lanka 2021 tour where he captained a second-string Indian team.