After being recently left out of the India ODI lineup, Shikhar Dhawan expects to return in time for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup later this year. Shikhar Dhawan has been a mainstay of India’s white-ball cricket for the past ten years, but as the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup nears, he is absent from the ODI system.
Dhawan has a particular affection for 50-over ICC competitions and has historically been one of India’s most reliable performers at the major competitions over the past ten years. The 37-year-old has an outstanding report card in major 50-over ICC events and he also aided for India’s ICC Champions Trophy triumph in 2013.
Shikhar Dhawan has had a huge influence and scored 363 during CT in England (2013), 412 runs in 2015 World cup in Australia and 338 runs again in the Champions trophy at England in 2017. Prior to having his tournament cut short after just two matches due to a fractured thumb, the left-handed batter struck a century against Australia early on in the competition.
“2022 was very good for me, I was consistent in ODIs. But there is this young guy who has been doing well in two formats, and when my form dipped in a series or two then they gave a chance to Shubman and he has lived up to their expectation. We are used to such situations.”
As we approach the year’s premier event, the fiery opener is no longer a part of the ODI system.
With 688 runs scored in 22 games at an average of 34.40, Dhawan had a strong year in 2022. His strike has attracted attention, though, falling from 94.51 from the time of his start in 2013 to 2021 to 74.21 in 2022.
This has intensified the rivalry for the opening spot and to accompany Rohit Sharma at the top of the order, especially with the rise of the young guns Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan.
In contrast to Gill, who has been in outstanding form and has scored the most runs for India (624 runs in nine games, including an ODI double-hundred) so far in 2023, Kishan set a record for the quickest ODI double-hundred against Bangladesh in December of last year.
“When Ishan Kishan slammed a double century against Bangladesh, then for a moment I thought I could be out of the team.”
