ICC World Cup 2023: Shikhar Dhawan Names First Five Players In World Cup Dream XI, Includes Two Indians

Veteran Indian batter Shikhar Dhawan has revealed his first five picks for a dream ODI XI in the upcoming World Cup edition, which is scheduled for later this year. Shikhar Dhawan named two Indians and one player each from Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa.

Shikhar Dhawan is unlikely to be part of the World Cup squad despite having an impressive record in the 50-over World Cup. The southpaw scored 537 runs with an average of 53.70, including three centuries. He was ruled out in the middle of the 2019 event due to an injury.

Virat Kohli Is The Best Batter In The World – Shikhar Dhawan

Speaking on the ICC Review, Shikhar Dhawan named his Indian teammate Virat Kohli as his first pick, followed by Rohit Sharma as his second selection.

“The first (picked) is Virat of course. He is the best batter in the world and has been scoring runs like crazy. Rohit is a very experienced customer. e has scored lots of runs in ICC tournaments and bilateral (series) and he’s a proven player (on the big stage),” said Dhawan.

Dhawan opened the innings for India alongside Rohit for a significant period. The batting pair amassed 5193 runs in 117 innings at an average of 45.15. They compiled 18 100-run partnerships and 15 50-run stands for India in the 50-over format.

Kohli scored 12,898 runs in ODIs at an extraordinary average of 57.32, including 46 centuries. The 34-year-old amassed 1,030 runs in 26 innings during the ODI World Cup, maintaining an average of 46.82. He registered two centuries and six fifties.

Shikhar Dhawan Picks Three Overseas Bowlers

Shikhar Dhawan included Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan, and South African pacer Kagiso Rabada as the remaining three picks.

“I’ll go for Mitchell Starc as he is one of the best fast bowlers (in the world). The fourth player will be Rashid Khan with his mystery action. I am sure he’ll be very, very impactful (in India) and will take lots of wickets,” he added.

“Shaheen Afridi I wouldn’t take because then there would be two left-arm pacers, so I’ll go for Rabada. Rabada has that extra pace and extra bounce that is going to rush the batters,” he concluded.