Shikhar Dhawan scored 97, 13, and 58 in the three ODIs against the West Indies, and impressed by his rich vein of form, former India all-rounder Reetinder Sodhi demanded that the left-hander be included in the national team for the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Notably, Shikhar Dhawan only features in ODIs for Team India and at 36, he's also in the twilight of his career. Against this backdrop, Reetinder Sodhi's comments are significant because Shikhar Dhawan is no longer a part of captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid's scheme of things in T20Is.
“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,” Reetinder Sodhi 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,” Reetinder Sodhi added.
However, two ex-India cricketers – Saba Karim and Pragyan Ojha, didn't agree with Reetinder Sodhi's remarks. They believe that Shikhar Dhawan will be a fine opening partner for Rohit Sharma at the top of the order in ODIs. But in T20Is, young guns like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, and KL Rahul have much more firepower in their arsenal than Shikhar Dhawan.
“I am seeing the right signs. When you look at a senior player, you have to see what is happening to them. He's in the mix (for the 2023 ODI World Cup) and now, when the seniors are not there and he is just playing one format. He's the captain, the leader of the pack, and the batting, which looked rusty in England, is now looking better… he is trying to get into that space. It is clear that Rohit Sharma wants Shikhar because they both have very good partnerships,” Pragyan Ojha said on the chat show The Alternate View.
“They have both done a brilliant job together. I think in world cricket they are third or fourth (fourth highest runs in ODIs as an opening pair) and Rohit believes that if someone is consistently performing or has done really well over the years, he can't be discarded. Rohit definitely gives you that cushion and it's a good thing, because in ICC events, you need that little bit of experience,” Pragyan Ojha added.
“Rohit has said this and he is sticking to it. I am confident that Shikhar will be in the mix unless there is some forced change. I think he's in a pretty good space, he is fit, and that is the benchmark. You can't just fool around with not being fit,” Pragyan Ojha pointed out.
“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,” Saba Karim 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,” Saba Karim summed up.
Earlier this week, Shikhar Dhawan powered a second-string Indian cricket team to a 3-0 whitewash of Nicholas Pooran and his men in the West Indies.
India's clean sweep came at a time when many big guns, namely Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, and Hardik Pandya were unavailable after the BCCI chose to rest them for the three 50-over fixtures in the Caribbean.
“I feel the boys are young, but they played maturely. The way they handled themselves on the field, really proud of them. Very good signs for us,” Shikhar Dhawan said during the post-match presentation.
Shubman Gill, who remained not out on 98 in the final ODI to lead India to a 119-run win, was adjudged the Man of the Series for his 205 runs in the three matches.
“It was bittersweet, I was expecting to get 100. It was not under my control as it rained, but I was happy with my innings. I was disappointed with how I got out in the first two matches, I tried to rotate strike. After the rain break, we let our instincts take over. I just wanted one more over when we walked out before the last break. The wickets were good, I thought the ball was gripping after 25-30 overs but they were great,” Gill signed off.