'Even if India win 6-0 in SL, it won't make a difference to his spot in the XI': Agarkar believes Dhawan needs to score
Shikhar Dhawan has done enough to be regarded as one of India’s best white-ball batsmen currently and yet, even his biggest supporters would think twice before putting his name as Rohit Sharma’s partner in India’s opening match in the T20 World Cup.
How do you feel if you are Shikhar Dhawan right now? Do you rejoice at getting to lead India, albeit a young side minus the big stars, for the first time? Do you feel disheartened for not being in England with most of the other ‘seniors’? Do you try and change your approach worrying about your spot in the T20I XI despite hardly doing anything wrong? Or do you forget everything and treat this as a new chapter in your life? Even for the uncluttered mind of Shikhar Dhawan, these thoughts are bound to create a ripple of doubts.
Dhawan has done enough to be regarded as one of India’s best white-ball batsmen currently and yet, even his biggest supporters would think twice (perhaps more) before putting his name as Rohit Sharma’s partner in India’s opening match in the T20 World Cup. How do you describe that? How do you tell your captain for the Sri Lanka tour that you are not yet guaranteed to open the batting in your next assignment in blues that is the T20 World Cup?
“It’s a curious case,” says former India pacer Ajit Agarkar. It sure is. In the battle of high-speed racing cars (read T20s) and sustainable vehicles (read Tests), Dhawan was always like an Alto. He used to fulfil most of the Indian team's needs in his own style, making him an indispensable part of the ODI XI but never quite the same in T20Is.
The problems began when KL Rahul started giving more and more consistent performances in T20Is at a strike rate of over 140. Dhawan’s assurance, coming at the cost of a considerably lower strike rate of 127, felt below-par against top sides like England, West Indies and Australia.
Dhawan lost his place in the Indian T20I XI when Rohit and Rahul were fit for the England series. Even when trying out new combinations, Dhawan was not the first choice. It was captain Virat Kohli, who decided to open with Rohit in the last T20I against England and surprise surprise, also returned as the top-scorer. If competition with Rahul wasn’t enough, Dhawan now had Kohli mulling opening too.
The left-hander’s response, however, was a solid one. He scored 380 runs for Delhi Capitals in 8 matches before IPL 2021 was postponed till September. More importantly, the runs came at a strike rate of close to 135.
“Shikhar played the first T20 against England and then was left out for the next four. He came back and had an exceptional IPL. Even in the previous edition, he was superb. He’s not doing anything wrong,” Ajit Agarkar told Hindustan Times during a virtual interaction facilitated by India vs Sri Lanka official broadcasters Sony Sports.
That Dhawan knew a change of approach was required was evident in the way he batted in the last two IPLs. His strike rate and average in 2020 and 2021 were both by far the best in the 13 years that he has been part of the league.
Agarkar, however, still believes Dhawan’s chances of starting as India’s preferred opener in T20 World Cup XI is slim. The former right-arm seamer says the only thing Dhawan can do is keep the pressure on Rahul by scoring heaps of runs in Sri Lanka.
“I think he will have to put up scores, especially in T20Is. I don’t think he is doing anything wrong in the IPL. Rohit and KL Rahul are currently ahead of him. Rahul had a pretty average series against England but otherwise, his form has been exceptional in white-ball cricket.
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“You almost felt like those two (Rohit and Rahul) had overtaken Shikhar but he keeps getting runs and that puts pressure on the likes of KL Rahul. Don’t think there is any doubt about Rohit’s place in the team, he’s the vice-captain in white-ball cricket. But you can certainly put pressure on Rahul and for that, you will have to score runs and that’s exactly what Shikhar needs to do to get his spot back in the XI,” Agarkar added to the Hindustan Times query.
The upcoming Sri Lanka series, in which India will play three ODIs and as many T20Is under Dhawan’s captaincy, will be the Men In Blue’s last white-ball fixtures ahead of the world event in UAE in October. But Agarkar feels India’s performance or Dhawan’s captaincy will not have any bearing on the Delhi cricketer’s fate in the Indian side.
“As far as captaincy is concerned, I was a little bit surprised but having looked at the squad I think the selectors have gone in with the most experienced guy in the team. It’s an honour to have gotten a chance to lead (India) at this stage of his career.
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“I don’t think the captaincy will change anything. Even if India win this series 6-0, I don’t think it will make a difference to his spot as far as batting is concerned. It’s the runs that will matter,” Agarkar said.
(Watch the 1st ODI on 18th July 2021 LIVE on SONY TEN 1 and SONY SIX in English from 3.00 pm IST)