In IPL Shikhar Dhawan Has Got Over 6000 Runs And Are You Telling Me He Is Not Good For T20Is For India? – Mohammad Kaif

Former India National Cricket Team player Mohammad Kaif showered praise on the veteran left-handed opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan and said that he is a consistent performer in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and can still be a good T20I player for Team India.

Dhawan has scored 6244 IPL runs at an average of over 35 and he has been performing well consistently every year. However, still, he is not being considered for selection in India’s T20I team. The 36-year-old last played T20I for India in July 2021 during India’s tour of Sri Lanka and since then he has not featured in any of the T20I games for India.

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During a conversation with TOI, Kaif was asked if players being pigeonholed is a genuine risk these days. He responded by citing the example of opener Shikhar Dhawan. He asserted:

“They (coaches, selectors and team management) know (who can be a multi-format player and who can’t), but they can’t be really sure about the decisions they make. Talk about Shikhar Dhawan. If you are telling me Shikhar Dhawan can’t play T20Is – you can’t say that. 

“In the IPL he has got 6000 IPL runs (6244 runs) and are you telling me he is not good for T20Is for India? No. There are so many players, so many options, so that doesn’t mean that they (selectors, coaches etc.) are making the right call all the time.”

He added that Dhawan, who is only being considered for selection in ODIs, can be an impactful player for India in both Test and T20I cricket.

“In Shikhar Dhawan’s case, I totally agree that he can be a good Test match player, he can be a good T20Is player. Then you talk about – oh Shikhar Dhawan and his strike rate. If in your mind you have decided that you have got a replacement (for someone like Dhawan) – that the likes of Ishan Kishan can play much faster (at a better strike rate) than Shikhar Dhawan, so let’s play him. 

“But I feel that Shikhar Dhawan is a good player in white ball cricket. We have been seeing him in the IPL – every year he gets 500, 600 runs for the franchise (he plays for). So you cannot always be sure as a selector,” Kaif said on TOI Sportscast.”

If you compare say – Shikhar Dhawan and Ishan Kishan – I don’t think that is the right kind of match-up – Mohammad Kaif

Kaif further said that the comparison between Dhawan and youngster Ishan Kishan is wrong because the batters are being provided different roles by the team management. He also said that Shikhar Dhawan has done a great job for India whenever he has played.

“If you talk about Virat Kohli – when he plays in the IPL or in T20Is – his strike rate would be around 130. That’s his role. He bats number 3, so he has more overs to bat (compared to batters down the order) and 130 is good enough because we have different roles for different players given by the coaches and the team management. 

“So when someone like Dinesh Karthik or Hardik Pandya bats at number 5 or 6, they have to play at a higher strike rate and finish the game, because they have fewer balls to face. Every player is given a role and they perform that. And then if you compare say – Shikhar Dhawan and Ishan Kishan – I don’t think that is the right kind of match-up. I think Shikhar Dhawan has done a great job whenever he has played for India,” Mohammad Kaif further said on TOI Sportscast.

Also Read: There Are A Lot Of Players Pushing For The Role As Openers: Sanjay Manjrekar

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