Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma (L) and his teammate Shikhar Dhawan (R) greet each other during the one day international (ODI) Asia Cup cricket match between Pakistan and India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on September 23, 2018. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA / AFP) (Photo credit should read ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are poised to join Ganguly and Tendulkar on the elite list. The pair’s final encounter was an ODI series against England at home in March 2021.
Team India will play England in the opening ODI of the three-match series on Tuesday (July 12) at the Kennington Oval in London after prevailing 2-1 in the T20I series. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, one of the best opening pairs in ODI cricket history, will reunite for the match. The pair’s final encounter was an ODI series against England at home in March 2021.
Dhawan is no longer a contender for the T20I or Test formats, which is a major factor. However, the southpaw is still a crucial component of India’s ODI lineup and would be eager to make an impression. In the meantime, Rohit and Dhawan are just six runs away from becoming the second Indian opening pair to amass 5000 ODI runs collectively, which would be a tremendous accomplishment.
Dhawan and Rohit have scored 4994 runs in 111 innings, while Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar added 6609 runs in 136 innings. Overall, the pair will reach the milestone as the fourth pair overall. Following Tendulkar-Ganguly on the elite list are Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes of the West Indies (5150 runs in 102 innings), and Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden of Australia (5372 runs in 114 innings).
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Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have been a powerful duo at the top.
While this was going on, Rohit, the temporary opener, began opening alongside Shikhar Dhawan in the 2013 Champions Trophy, and the pair haven’t looked back since. The two veterans make a fantastic team, and their combined numbers tell the entire tale. The current Indian captain prefers to wait before unleashing the onslaught, unlike Shikhar, who likes to attack bowlers right away.
The Three Lions were soundly defeated by Team India in the first two T20Is of the recently concluded series before losing the dead rubber, giving them momentum. The Men in Blue will also probably start the series with a nearly full-strength XI. As a result, the hosts must prepare to play their best.
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