Rohit Sharma Ditches Virat Kohli; Picks Shikhar Dhawan As His Favourite Batting Partner

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are two legends who are part of the India team currently. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have made many brilliant partnerships with each other. However, according to Sharma, his favorite batting partner is Shikhar Dhawan.

Recently in Asia Cup 2023, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli scripted the record of scoring 5000 runs together in ODIs. Reaching the milestone in 86 innings, they became the fastest pair to pile up 5,000 runs in the 50-over format.

Also Read: ICC World Cup 2023: “It Will Become Very Difficult To Play For India” – Aakash Chopra On Shikhar Dhawan’s Future

Shikhar Dhawan And I Had A Very Strong Friendship- Rohit Sharma

While speaking to ANI during the post-match press conference after Asia Cup 2023 final, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was asked about his favorite batting partner. To this, Sharma took Shikhar Dhawan’s name. The right-handed batsman also said that he and Dhawan had a very strong friendship on and off the field.

“Shikhar Dhawan and I had a very strong friendship on and off the field. We have played so many years together and it’s a partnership that I enjoyed being a part of. He has a very infectious energy and it’s just a lot of fun to be around him, and the records that we set as an opening pair for India,” the Indian opener said.

Also Read: ICC World Cup 2023: “You Carry Our Hopes…” – Shikhar Dhawan’s Blockbuster First Reaction After Being Ignored For World Cup

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan last played together in December 2022 during the ODI series against Bangladesh. Later, Dhawan was replaced in ODIs by emerging batter Shubman Gill, who has now become the regular opening partner for Rohit Sharma in all three formats.

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan started their stint as India openers in Champions Trophy 2013. With their incredible batting, they helped India to win the tournament. Later, the Rohit-Dhawan pair became a nightmare for opposition teams and ruled the field as openers for many years.

Also Read: “Virat Kohli Is Playing Freely Since He Has Quit His Captaincy,” Says Amit Mishra Ahead Of India-Australia 1st ODI

Rohit Sharma And Shikhar Dhawan Account For 5193 Runs Together In ODIs

Both of them created many records as Indian openers and played as openers under legendary captains like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. From 2011 to 2022, Sharma and Dhawan slammed 5193 runs together in 117 ODIs innings along with a highest partnership of 210.

They are the second Indian pair to score most runs together after Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly (8227). Overall, they are the 7th pair to score the most runs together in ODIs.

Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan has not played any international match since the start of this year. However, the left-handed batsman is yet to retire from international cricket and might make a comeback to the national team in the future.