Team India’s left-handed hitter Shikhar Dhawan is in charge of the current three-match ODI series against New Zealand. The seasoned pro demonstrated his mettle against the hosts with a knock of 72 in the first ODI and a 124-run first wicket partnership with Shubman Gill. Before the opening ODI, former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri lauded Shikhar Dhawan and claimed that the left-hander does not receive the recognition he truly merits.
Speaking during Pre-Match Coverage of Prime Video for the 1st ODI, Shastri 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. 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,” he added.
After being assigned to bat first in the ongoing first ODI, Team India scored 306/7 in 50 overs. Dhawan (72), Shreyas Iyer (80), and Shubman Gill (50) all contributed strong innings, but Washington Sundar’s undefeated 37-run innings off only 16 balls ultimately enabled India to score more than 300 runs.
