'That's What Made Life Difficult for Shikhar Dhawan'-Former Cricketer Says Shubman Gill's Form Made the Difference

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed the 15-man ODI and T20I squad for the home series against Sri Lanka, surprising many with some of the bold moves. For instance, Hardik Pandya was named the T20I skipper with Surya Kumar Yadav being named his deputy. On the other hand, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were all dropped for the shorter format with the trio making a comeback for the 50-over matches.

Moreover, it marked the end of the road for someone like Shikhar Dhawan who doesn’t have age on his side. Known as Gabbar, Dhawan had a string of poor scores in the recently concluded ODI series against NZ. Furthermore, superb form from the youngsters like Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, who had hit a 200 in ODIs, played a role in his ouster.

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Former cricketer and popular cricket pundit Sanjay Manjrekar also concurred with the view.

“You got to feel for Shikhar Dhawan because the walls were coming in close to him. He lost his place in the T20I and Test teams. But considering all that, he was making a contribution and the odd innings were showing the spark Shikhar Dhawan has,” he was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo.

“But the thing is India is such a batting country that if you go a little quiet and don’t get as many opportunities, there are always people staking a claim.”

“Currently, when I look at Gill in Tests, ODIs, and T20s, one-day cricket is his true calling based on his current form. That’s what has made life difficult for Shikhar Dhawan. As they say, never say never, so who knows, what his future holds. At the moment, I see Shubman Gill as a great fit to open in 50-overs cricket plus there’s the option of Ishan Kishan.”

Punjab youngster Gill made his debut back in 2020, but came into his own this year where he accounted for 638 runs at a stupendous average of 70.88 in 12 ODIs.

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On the other hand, Kishan made headlines when he struck the fastest double-ton in ODIs in a recent game against Bangladesh. He also became the fourth Indian to achieve this feat.

With the duo knocking on the doors, Dhawan’s odds of maintaining his place in the side was always going to be difficult. Furthermore, there is a Prithvi Shaw as well who couldn’t find a place in the side.

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