People Don’t Give Shikhar Dhawan The Credit He Deserves, Says Ravi Shastri

With the Asia Cup 2023 on the horizon, the Indian team management and selectors are in the midst of intense discussions to determine the best players for the top seven positions in the lineup. As of now, the team's configuration seems to lack a sense of certainty and stability.

Notably, a decision is pending regarding who will partner with Rohit Sharma as the opening batsman, with both Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill being strong contenders for this role.

Meanwhile, former India coach Ravi Shastri has provided insightful perspectives on the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Speaking on Star Sports Selection Day show, Shastri spoke about where Ishan Kishan will feature in the batting line-up for the Asia Cup 2023 and the impact the seasoned player Shikhar Dhawan has had on the squad and how the team missed in the 2019 World Cup campaign.

Reflecting on the team's past experiences, particularly the 2019 World Cup campaign, Shastri emphasised the pivotal role the veteran Indian opener played in the team's composition.

"At the top of the order, nowhere else. And the others have to be flexible. Between Rohit, Virat, and Shubhman Gill, that can be 2, 3, 4. And a very important point is, I was a coach at that time, and I keep saying that people don’t give the credit that Shikhar Dhawan deserves. I mean, that guy was an amazing player.

"You mention the World Cup in 2019 where we lost that semifinal when we had a brilliant World Cup, he was the missing man there. You know, that made such a big difference -– a left-hander at the top of the order, as opposed to three right-handers with the ball swinging away, which allowed teams to get a grip of where to bowl and bowl consistently," he said.

Last month, the BCCI named a squad predominantly composed of young talents for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled for September-October.

With the first-choice players busy in their preparations for the ODI World Cup at home, the responsibility of leading India's secondary squad in China was anticipated to fall on the shoulders of the 37-year-old left-hander Dhawan, a role he held until 10 months ago. However, the selectors opted for young Ruturaj Gaikwad instead to captain the team in the Asian Games.

Also Read: Cricket History

Dhawan's last game for India dates back to December last year during the tour of Bangladesh.