IND vs WI: 'Why Not Shikhar Dhawan For T20 World Cup? The Form He Has Caught, It Seems He's A Certainty': Ex-India Player's Huge Statement

Shikhar Dhawan concluded the changing room celebrations with the exuberant remark, “When I say ‘who are we?’ you will all respond champions,” immediately after India defeated the West Indies in a three-match ODI series and completed a clean sweep on Wednesday.

Dhawan became the first-ever captain of an Indian squad that thoroughly defeated the Caribbean side on home turf by leading a youthful pack in lieu of regular skipper Rohit Sharma. 

Dhawan claimed in his address that the youthful mix has a lot more success ahead of it. The left-handed opener, though, is still concentrating on regaining his white-ball credentials in the midst of the fierce battle within the Indian squad.

Reetinder Singh Sodhi Questions Absence Of Shikhar Dhawan From Indian T20 Side

Reetinder Sodhi questioned why the seasoned batter couldn’t be considered for this year’s World T20 in Australia after seeing Dhawan knock 97, 13 and 58 in three games. 

“We need him (Dhawan) if we talk about the 50-over World Cup. But why not Shikhar Dhawan for the T20 World Cup, why not an experienced player, the sort of form that is being seen, the way his feet are moving, the fantastic fielding he is doing, Shikhar has presented an extremely strong case,” the former India player told India News. 

“Dhawan is a player who was down and out. There was not much talk about him a few months back, but it has been a fantastic turnaround because he is captaining in ODI cricket and the form he has caught, it seems he is a certainty,” he added. 

Selectors Will Be Encouraged To Persist With Shikhar Dhawan: Saba Karim

Saba Karim, a national selector and former India wicketkeeper, wants Shikhar Dhawan to play with Rohit Sharma in the 2019 ODI World Cup.

“His performance has been exceptional if we talk about ODI cricket. Shikhar Dhawan showed that he has a lot of cricket left in him and presented a strong case for next year’s World Cup,” he said. 

“I have been saying this for a long time that he is a very important player along with Rohit in the opening partnership for the World Cup. After this performance, the selectors will also be definitely encouraged to persist with Shikhar.” 

Even last year, Dhawan was the captain of a reserve Indian squad in Sri Lanka. Coach Rahul Dravid praised his effective leadership after the West Indies series’ triumph in the ODI leg. 

“Really well done by Shikhar. I think he led very well. Well done to all of you, terrific performance,” said Dravid. 

Also Read: IND vs WI: “Don’t Agree That We Were Playing Conservative Cricket”: Rohit Sharma