India Will Miss Shikhar Dhawan's Understanding With Rohit Sharma: Nick Knight

Former England batsman Nick Knight has said India would miss the understanding between Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma at the top of the order in the ongoing World Cup. India were dealt a huge blow on Wednesday when Dhawan was ruled out of the tournament owing to a thumb injury. Dhawan had suffered a blow on his thumb during the clash against Australia.

The Indian team-management initially decided to keep Dhawan under observation while calling Rishabh Pant as a cover. But on Wednesday, the team decided to drop Dhawan from the squad as he is unlikely to recover from the injury any time soon. In his place, Rishabh Pant was named as the replacement.

Also Read: ICC Approves Rishabh Pant As Shikhar Dhawan’s Replacement

Missing Dhawan will be a huge blow for India. The opener was in stunning form before suffering the injury and has a brilliant track record in ICC tournaments. Moreover, his partnership with Rohit Sharma is one of the biggest reasons behind India’s domination in world cricket since last 5-6 years. The two helped India win the 2013 Champions Trophy and 2018 Asia Cup. Not only that, the two also helped India make it to the semifinal of the 2015 World Cup and the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy.

And Nick Knight knows what India will miss after Dhawan’s injury setback. The ex-batsman insisted that more than Dhawan’s left-handedness, India would miss his partnership with Rohit Sharma.

“My point is that when you lose a player of the quality and consistency of Shikhar Dhawan, it is a huge loss. As much as his left-handedness, it is the relationship and understanding with Rohit Sharma that will be missed most by the Indian side. So in my opinion that is more important than just the left-right scenario,” Nick Knight told Bangalore Mirror.

Nick Knight further heaped praise on Dhawan, saying that he loves to watch the southpaw bat.

“He is a wonderful player. He is a player I love watching. As a fellow left hander, I would switch on my telly to watch him. The fact that he is around for some time now… I have seen how smart he has been in developing his innings and partnerships alongside Rohit,” said the England star.

India, meanwhile, will next take on Afghanistan in the World Cup. Both the teams will lock horns on June 22 in Southampton.