India opening batsman and captain for the ongoing ODI series against West Indies - Shikhar Dhawan is all set to get dropped from the national side, feels former India cricketer Saba Karim. Saba expressed that it is very unlikely that Dhawan will get selected in the T20I squad on the basis of his performance in the ODIs. He also said that there are number of young players in the Indian T20 squad and the selectors are looking at them and not at Dhawan.
Captain @SDhawan25 falls three short of his century as he departs after scoring a fine 97.
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“Not in my opinion. The T20 format is different; the demands in T20 cricket are different. There, the number of talented players we are seeing at the moment, I don’t think the selectors’ thinking is towards Shikhar Dhawan," Karim said during a chat with India News.
“I feel Shikhar Dhawan’s place in ODI cricket is confirmed; he is an indispensable force as an opening batter. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are a fantastic combination,” Karim said. “He has been performing like this regularly in ODI cricket. The consistency is seen in his batting and in ODI cricket; apart from strike rate and average, you need a batter who you can depend on.”
“Shikhar is a player, who if we see the last two or three years, then whether it is Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, his role has been extremely important. It is because of Shikhar and Rohit’s partnership that the following batters have found it easier to set or chase a target,” he added.
Shikhar last played a T20I for India way back in 2021. It has been over one year since the southpaw played for India in the shortest format of the game. He was the captain of the Indian side that travelled to Sri Lanka for the limited-overs series. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and all other key players were rested in that series.
