Veteran wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik feels Team India opener Shikhar Dhawan is definitely a starter for the 2023 ICC World Cup, which will take place in India. Dhawan is currently in New Zealand leading Team India in an ODI series against the hosts in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma. He has been an integral member of the Indian team in the ODI format over the years.
Shikhar Dhawan has scored 6747 runs at an average of 44.98 and a strike rate of 91.72 in 163 ODI matches. He has seventeen centuries and thirty-nine half-centuries to his name in the format. The left-hander has a great record in ICC events, slamming 2605 runs in 58 matches at an average of 49.15 with eight centuries. Veteran wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik feels Shikhar Dhawan should be a part of the upcoming ODI World Cup.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik expressed,
“I think so. From the kind of vibe I get, he is definitely a starter for the World Cup. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be having him around. He is on the other side of his 30s and they could have easily moved on from him. Just the fact that they have him shows that they are very keen about having him in the ODI team.”
“He has been a gun player in ICC tournaments, somebody who rises to the occasion and he plays at a fair clip consistently. Even in the 2019 World Cup, he really did well before getting injured. So, he is somebody you can bank on unless something drastically changes in terms of his form completely falling off,” he added.
Shikhar Dhawan knows his game plan: Dinesh Karthik
Wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik further expressed that Shikhar Dhawan is a trusted batter at the top of the order. He explained that the left-hander uses his crease well. Karthik added that Dhawan will be looking forward to leading the Punjab Kings franchise in the IPL this year. The wicket-keeper batter said,
“He is somebody you can trust as an opener as he knows his game plan. He uses the crease really well, he has got everything to play for. And most importantly, it would be another chance for him to lead a team before the IPL and that is something he will be looking forward to.”
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.