Looking forward to scoring a lot of runs against Rashid Khan, says Shikhar Dhawan

The Indian cricket team had longed for a dynamic left-handed opener ever since the decline of Gautam Gambhir who formed a formidable opening pair alongside the explosive Virender Sehwag over the years. Their prayers seemed to have been answered in the form of late-bloomer Shikhar Dhawan who has a formidable record in the limited overs format.

Dhawan, who had a pretty decent outing with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the recently concluded 2018 season of the IPL, managed to amass 497 runs over the course of the tournament which seen his side miss out on the trophy to eventual champions Chennai Super Kings.

Despite their loss, Afghanistan spinner cum batsman - Rashid Khan, who is currently the top-ranked T20 bowler in the ICC rankings emerged as a standout performer for the Hyderabad-based franchise. Rashid almost single-handedly won SRH the eliminator against Kolkata Knight Riders as he put in one of the most complete performances with ball and bat, as well as in the field. Dhawan lavished praise on his SRH teammate and revealed that he couldn’t wait to go toe-to-toe against the Afghanistan bowler in the upcoming international season.

“Of course. When I played him for the first time, I found him tough to deal with. However, now I'm used to playing him. If I play (in the XI), it'll be a good challenge to play against him. I'll look forward to scoring runs off him!" Dhawa told Cricbuzz in a recent interview.

The left-handed batsman further went on to talk about his prospects with the Indian senior cricket team and the upcoming tour of England which will serve as a warm-up in the preparation for next year’s 2019 ICC ODI World Cup.

“I am a big believer in process. I have the same attitude even if I play here, or in an ICC tournament. Naturally, my records have been good in ICC events, but it's not like that I play there with a different attitude. I play with the same attitude, same way, whether I play in the IPL or the Ranji Trophy or for the Indian team.

“There's a lot of cricket left in me now. I want to do better and better for me, and for the country. I want to keep playing for as long as I can, because I made it to the Indian team late in my career. I still have that passion within me. I know I can achieve a lot more. I want to make up for that lost time," Dhawan added.