Won't Pick Dhawan For T20 World Cup, KL Rahul Should Open, Says Ex-India Captain

The ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka can pretty much decide the fate of Shikhar Dhawan as far as his place in the team for the T20 World Cup is concerned. After missing the T20I and ODI series against West Indies due to an injury, Shikhar Dhawan is back in the team for the ongoing series.

There were speculations that he might not get a chance in the playing eleven straightaway due to KL Rahul’s impressive performances. However, with Rohit Sharma rested for the series, Shikhar Dhawan has got another chance to show the team-management that he can still deliver in the shortest format of the game.

Also Read: Difficult To Pick Between KL Rahul And Shikhar Dhawan As Rohit Sharma’s Partner, Says Virat Kohli

The southpaw has not really managed to get going in T20Is in recent months and has struggled with the strike-rate. In his last 12 T20I innings, Dhawan has scored just 272 runs at a below-par strike-rate of 110.56.

What has made things trickier for him is the stunning performance of KL Rahul in recent times. He has scored 356 runs in 9 innings at an impressive strike-rate of 142.40. A few weeks ago, he also helped Karnataka win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Rahul’s IPL performances also bolster his case. He was the third highest run-scorer in 2018 and second highest run-scorer in 2019.

Rahul over Dhawan:

Ahead of the T20 World Cup this year, former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth has said that he would not pick Shikhar Dhawan over KL Rahul for the marquee event. In fact, Krishnamachari Srikkanth said that he would not even include Dhawan in the squad.

“Runs against SL (Sri Lanka) don’t count. If I was chairman of selectors, I won’t pick Dhawan in the T20 WC squad. There is no competition between him and Rahul. Only one winner,” Srikkanth was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan has said that he is looking forward to a “new start” in 2020 and wants to win the World Cup for India later this year in Australia.

“Lots of injuries last year, but it’s part and parcel of the game. It’s a new year, looking forward to a new start. I always take things in a positive manner. Injuries are natural, just take them in my stride.

Looking forward to scoring lots of runs this year, be a more impactful player, win matches for my team and win the World Cup. This series is a good opportunity for me to score runs. I am always developing my game, developing new shots,” Dhawan said in Guwahati.

Dhawan would have been disappointed with the turn of events in Guwahati as the first T20I was washed out. He will be hoping that luck favours him in the second game in Indore.