Switching formats has been very positive, says Shikhar Dhawan
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Shikhar Dhawan has stated that switching from the ODI to T20 format and back has been very positive from him. He struck a century in the series against Australia, India’s final assignment before World Cup, followed it up with a fine Indian Premier League and will now feature in the marquee event.
Shikhar Dhawan was unable to convert his good starts for India in recent times but he finally played a fantastic knock of 143 in 115 balls in the fourth ODI against Australia at Mohali. He followed it up with a good run in the Indian Premier League as he became the highest run-getter for his franchise Delhi Capitals with 521 runs in 16 innings. The southpaw reckoned that he is ready for the challenges in the World Cup, starting May 30.
"It has been very positive because if you do well, you gain momentum. Apart from the IPL, I also had a good series with Australia. There is no issue in changing the format as it is all about the mindset, and changing that takes a minute. We are ready for any challenge that comes our way in the World Cup," he said, reported PTI.
Rohit Sharma will be Shikhar’s opening partner in the quadrennial event whereas he opened with Prithvi Shaw in the IPL. He joked stating that Sharma is not his wife when asked if he was in touch with him during the cash rich league.
"Baatein karke kya hoga? Woh meri biwi thodi na hai (what's the point in discussing? Rohit isn't my wife). If you play with someone for years, you'll know him inside out. With Rohit, there's nothing special that we do. It's just the mindset. Even if I bat with Prithvi, the game remains the same. If one person gets going, the other man plays a supporting role," expressed the 33-year-old.
Dhawan has a penchant for big ticket ICC tournaments. He was the highest run-getter in the 2013 and 2017 Champions Trophy, both of which were played in England, and scored 701 runs in ten innings. Even in the 2015 World Cup, he was the highest run-getter for India and scored 412 runs in eight innings with two hundreds and a fifty. He dismissed any discussions surrounding the pressure he will have in the upcoming quadrennial event.
"This is my daily job. I make sure my basics are taken care of and I have a clear mind. Sometimes you make runs, sometimes you don't. But I always keep calm and look at the areas where I need to work on and then I go and give it my best shot. I don't believe in worrying too much," asserted the Delhi batsman.
Dhawan also feels that India has a fine bowling attack with the potent pacers, fast bowling all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar, and even the spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja.
"We have a very strong bowling attack in Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami. This apart, we also have a good bowler in Hardik Pandya. This is a balanced bowling unit and that will definitely help the team. Bumrah is the number-one bowler at present and then we also have quality spinners. I feel that this team is very well balanced," he said.
The likes of former skipper MS Dhoni, current skipper Virat Kohli and vice captain Rohit Sharma possess a fine captaincy record. The trio, along with the experience of Dhawan himself, will benefit the youngsters in the team, as pointed out by the southpaw.
"When you go into a big-ticket tournament, along with the talent, you also need experience; and I feel that this team has the perfect mix with Kohli, Dhoni, Rohit and me being there to guide the youngsters whenever required," Dhawan signed off.
