Former India coach Ravi Shastri feels Shikhar Dhawan doesn’t get enough credit for his performances at the international level. He expressed that Dhawan has played some great innings for Team India in one-day cricket, and against top teams. Dhawan is currently in New Zealand leading the Indian team in a three-match ODI series against the hosts.
In the first ODI on Friday, November 25 at Eden Park in Auckland, the left-handed batter slammed a fifty, while opening the innings. He scored 72 runs off 77 deliveries, with thirteen boundaries at a strike rate of 93.51. His knock set the platform for other batters to capitalize on the good start. Shikhar Dhawan has so far scored 6744 runs in 162 matches, at an average of 45.26, including seventeen hundred.
Speaking on Prime Video, former India head coach Ravi Shastri expressed that Dhawan’s performances go unnoticed at the international level. He said,
“He’s vastly experienced. He doesn’t get the accolades that he deserves. To be honest, most of the spotlight is on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. But when you look at his one-day cricket record, and you look at some of the innings he has played against top teams in big games, it’s an outstanding record.”
A left-hander at the top makes a lot of difference: Ravi Shastri
Former cricketer Ravi Shastri further expressed that Shikhar Dhawan’s presence in India’s top order makes a lot of difference. He added that the 36-year-old is a natural stroke player, whose experience will come in handy, with talented youngsters in the team. Ravi Shastri said,
“A left-hander at the top makes a lot of difference. He is a natural stroke player, he has got all the shots to countertop class fast bowling, the pull, the cut, and the drive. He likes it when the ball is coming onto the bat, and I think his experience will be handy here. There are a lot of talented youngsters around, but I think in this format of the game, his experience will be in value.”
Team India lost the first ODI against New Zealand by seven wickets. The hosts chased down 307 runs comfortably, on the back of Kane Williamson and Tom Latham’s stunning partnership. The second ODI will take place on Sunday, November 27 at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
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