Opener Shikhar Dhawan, India's highest run-scorer of the last ODI World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, is now looking forward to this edition of the quadrennial event in UK with high hopes of continuing his excellence in the 50-over ICC tournament.
Dhawan was also the leading run-getter of the last two versions of ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 and 2017 and has just had a very fine Indian Premier League season with the bat for Delhi Capitals (DC). The southpaw will be travelling to England and Wales having scored 521 runs at an average of 34.73 and a strike-rate of 135.68 in 16 games in IPL 2019.
So will he carry any nerves or pressure of expectations with him?
"Conscious about what? 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," Dhawan told IANS. "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."
When asked whether he has been in contact with Rohit Sharma - his partner at the top - ahead of the big summer, Dhawan amusingly replied that the Mumbaikar isn't his wife so why shall he talk everything with him.
"Baatein karke kya hoga? Woh meri biwi thodi na hain! (What's the point in discussing things? 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."
Switching from T20 to ODI from here won't be much of an issue, Dhawan said, as he believes taking forward the confidence gained from his role in Delhi's IPL success will definitely help. "It has been very positive because if you do well, you gain in 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."
Dhawan has a lot of faith in India's bowling attack, which includes quality pacers like Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as well as wicket-taking spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.
"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 no.1 bowler at present and then we also have quality spinners. I feel that this team is very well balanced."
These guys have flourished under the leadership of Virat Kohli, who continues to evolve taking invaluable guidance from former skipper MS Dhoni and vice-captain Rohit at every step.
"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 concluded.
