Last Update on: March 26th, 2023 at 10:48 am

The veteran batter Shikhar Dhawan has been one of the best performers for India in the ODI format over the last decade. Shikhar Dhawan has opened up about his sudden axing from the squad in January as the team management picked young batters Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan over him to build the team for the upcoming World Cup.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made a bold decision to drop the experienced batter with the World Cup only a few months away. Dhawan led the Men in Blue in the 50-overs format in 2022 in the absence of seniors. The left-handed batter had a decent run in the last year, scoring 688 runs at a decent strike rate of above 70 in 22 ODIs.

In an interview with Aaj Tak, Shikhar Dhawan said that he is not the first player to be dropped from the team in cricket and many cricketers have faced the same fate. Dhawan believes that the captain, coach and selector take a decision after a lot of thought.

“This is not something new in cricket. Or this happened just with me, plenty others have met with same fate. There are times when you play well throughout the year and then your form drops for one month or two, sometimes that becomes bigger than your performance throughout the year. When a captain, coach and selector take a decision they put plenty of thoughts into it,” Shikhar Dhawan said.

For A Moment I Thought I Could Be Out Of The Team – Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan revealed that the management will give him a place in the ODI team when Rohit Sharma takes over the captaincy. The southpaw said he was told to focus on his cricket and prepare for the 2023 ODI World Cup at home.

“When Rohit took over the captaincy he along with Rahul Dravid backed me enough. They told me they wanted me to focus on my cricket and that my vision should be the next World Cup. 2022 was very good for me, I was consistent in ODIs,” said Dhawan.

“But there is this young guy who has been doing well in two formats, and when my form dipped in a series or two then they gave a chance to Shubman and he has lived up to their expectation. We are used to such situation. When Ishan Kishan slammed a double century against Bangladesh, then for a moment I thought I could be out of the team,” he added.

The 37-year-old will lead the Punjab Kings (PBKS) franchise in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Kings will begin their campaign in the mega tournament against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Punjab Cricket Association’s IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, on Saturday, April 1.

Also read: Team India To Play Two Extra T20Is On West Indies Tour, Likely To Play ODI Series Against Sri Lanka Or Afghanistan After WTC Final

IPL 2023: “This Is Not Something New In Cricket Or This Happened Just With Me” – Shikhar Dhawan Breaks His Silence After Being Dropped From The Team

For A Moment I Thought I Could Be Out Of The Team – Shikhar Dhawan

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