India’s Shikhar Dhawan unlucky to miss out on a spot at the T20 World Cup
Dhawan accelerates as innings goes on and that’s what he would love to prove to selectors
Delhi Capitals batsman Shikhar Dhawan would like to remind the India selectors that he is still a force to reckon with in the shortest form by scoring against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday in Dubai.
Dhawan was not selected for the 15-man India squad for the T20 World Cup, which begins in the UAe next month. But when the Indian Premier League was suspended in May this year, he was leading scorer in the competition with 380 runs in the eight games Delhi had played with a strike rate of 134.
In the last year’s IPL, too, which was played in the UAE, Dhawan was the second highest scorer with 618 runs behind KL Rahul and took his Delhi team to the final.
What probably has gone against him is that he is a slow starter, but he accelerates as the innings progresses and that is what he would like to prove to the selectors. He is good in the power play too and, being a left-handed batsman, he adds the extra dimension to the team’s balance.
India’s selectors can still change the squad until October 5 and maybe he can force his way into the picture before the deadline if he scores heavily in the IPL and at a good strike rate.
Dhawan is fondly called ‘Gabbar’ by his teammates, who was the main character in the movie ‘Sholay’ and I would not be surprised if ‘Gabbar’ fires for Delhi Capitals against Sunrisers on Wednesday evening.