Saba Karim, a former India wicket-keeper batsman, questioned Shikhar Dhawan’s inclusion in the ODI squad for the upcoming South Africa tour. With Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul being hailed as openers across all forms, the left-handed opener has fallen behind in the pecking order.
With youthful openers like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Prithvi Shaw carving out a name for themselves on the domestic circuit, the 36-year-old has only a few options. Karim points out that management would be looking ahead to the 2023 World Cup.
“Even if Dhawan is there in the squad, will he be part of the playing XI? KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma have opened in Tests and T20s, so I think they will open in ODIs as well. So, if you are including Dhawan in the squad and not playing him, should he be in the team? I don’t see the point of his inclusion, what is the need? The only thing possible is the left hand-right hand combination of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. It has been a formidable partnership as well.” he said
Dhawan has played in India’s previous two One-Day International series. He produced a few of solid performances against England at home before heading to Sri Lanka to captain a second-string side.
Saba Despite his skills and experience, Karim agreed it would be difficult for Dhawan to get into this present team. He claims that being a left-handed pitcher is the one thing working in his favor right now.
Shikhar Dhawan
“It would be difficult for Shikhar Dhawan to come back into this side. I still think that he should be given one more opportunity because he is a big player with experience. Have to see what the selectors and the team management think. I don’t think Delhi will qualify for the knockouts, so Dhawan has to prove by scoring runs and he only has one more match to do so.” Karim added
In the present Vijay Hazare Trophy, Dhawan has only managed to score 44 runs in four matches. He has one more match against Saurashtra tomorrow to prove his worth before the squad for the forthcoming tour is chosen.
Read more: India vs South Africa: Dilip Vengsarkar says “There’s no point in picking him when he’ll be 28”
Visit also: Sir Alastair Cook has dissected the English team’s dismal performance in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane
[…] Visit also: Saba Karim questioned the need for Shikhar Dhawan’s inclusion in the ODI squad for the South Afric… […]