Team India has made a strong start to its preparations for the upcoming ODI World Cup after sweeping Sri Lanka and New Zealand in the just-finished ODI format. Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill, who both scored their first ODI double-hundreds against Bangladesh and New Zealand, respectively, have emerged as new openers for the Rohit Sharma-led team. But because of their unexpected success, seasoned Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan’s place in the team for the major competition is now in doubt.
Team India was captained by Dhawan in the ODI series against Bangladesh, in which the visitors lost 2-1 over the course of the three games. Ishan, although on the losing side of the series, stood out after scoring his first ODI double-century in the third game. Dhawan had a forgettable series, scoring just 18 runs in three games, which led to his exclusion from the squad for the ODIs against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Ravichandran Ashwin, an Indian spinner, defended Dhawan and referred to him as a “stalwart of white-ball cricket.”
“Only when the Top 3 failed, we had problems in the past. Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli. We talk a lot about Rohit and Kohli, but Dhawan is a stalwart. He was silently doing his job. Will his place be a big void to fill for Team India?” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. “Should we go back to Shikhar Dhawan, or should we groom Ishan Kishan, who has just scored a double hundred? Instead of backing a player on based one huge score, we should see what the team requires. Which character will deliver under pressure? Which character will serve us for a long time?” he added.
In 167 ODI games for India, Dhawan has amassed a staggering total of 6793 runs, including 17 hundred 39 half-centuries. Under the captaincy of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Team India is currently hosting New Zealand for a three-match Twenty20 International series. In the second T20I on Sunday, the home team overcame the Kiwis by six wickets to tie the series at one game each. On Wednesday, Ahmedabad will host the game that will decide the series.
