The 50-over World Cup will be held in India next year. Though the tournament is still months away, former cricketers have already started making their predictions about the quadrennial event. Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha too shared his views about India's potential squad for the prestigious competition and he believes that opener Shikhar Dhawan who led the national team to a 3-0 whitewash against the West Indies this week would be part of the Rohit Sharma-led side for the tourney.
Notably, Shikhar Dhawan only features in ODIs for Team India and at 36, he's also in the twilight of his career.
“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.
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.
“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 ex-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.
Former India stumper Saba Karim, however, disagreed with Sodhi while echoing similar sentiments as Ojha.
Saba Karim declared that while Shikhar Dhawan will be a perfect partner for Rohit Sharma in the ODI World Cup, he shouldn't be picked for the T20 World Cup Down Under.
“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.
Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan who was in exceptional form against Nicholas Pooran and his men in the Caribbean downplayed his own performance in the series and credited his young lads for the 3-0 clean sweep in Port of Spain.
“My boys are young in age but played maturely. They showed common sense and handled themselves well. The whole team performed which is important. I'm pleased with my form, I know how to convert 50s into 100s. Got out on 97 in the first game, even today I was good. I took a risk to up the run rate and got out, so it's good regardless. (On Shubman Gill) it happens sometimes, the 98 was good. He timed the ball well. The way Shreyas and how everyone responded was great. We great grateful and lucky, lots from different countries. I'm proud of our bowling wickets, they gave their 100%, Siraj took two early, Axar, Chahal, Shardul – everyone deserves credit,” Shikhar Dhawan said in the post-match presentation after the visitors won the third ODI by 119 runs on Wednesday.
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