IND vs NZ: Shikhar Dhawan Doesn't Get Accolades That He Deserves; Most Of The Spotlight Is On Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma – Ravi Shastri

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has said that the veteran left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan doesn’t get the accolades that he deserves and most of the spotlight is on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Dhawan, who is regarded as one of the ODI greats, is currently leading the Men In Blue in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand in the absence of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul.

ICC Teams  Rankings | ICC Players Rankings

The 36-year-old performed brilliantly in the first ODI at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday (November 25) and smashed 72 runs off 77 balls, including 13 fours. He also had an amazing 124-run partnership with Shubman Gill.

Speaking during pre-match coverage of Prime Video for the 1st ODI, Shastri said that the “vastly experienced” Dhawan has got an outstanding record in ODIs. He said:

“He’s vastly experienced. He doesn’t get the accolades that he deserves. To be honest, most of the spotlight is on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. But when you look at his one-day cricket record, and you look at some of the innings he has played against top teams in big games, it’s an outstanding record.”

He is a natural stroke player – Ravi Shastri on Shikhar Dhawan

Former India National Cricket Team head coach further said that Dhawan is a “natural stroke player” and he is capable of playing several different kinds of shots to counter the fast bowling. He added that although several youngsters are waiting in the wings, Dhawan’s experience in ODIs is invaluable.

“A left-hander at the top makes a lot of difference. He is a natural stroke player, he has got all the shots to countertop class fast bowling, the pull, the cut, and the drive. He likes it when the ball is coming onto the bat, and I think his experience will be handy here. There are a lot of talented youngsters around, but I think in this format of the game, his experience will be in value,” he added.

Also Read: IND vs NZ: “I Get More Off Time And Am Able To Stay Fresher And Stronger” – Dhawan On Playing Only ODIs For India