Veteran India opener Shikhar Dhawan has come under the scanner after his below-par showing in the recently held ODI series in Bangladesh.
The left-hander registered three single-digit scores as Bangladesh defeated India 2-1 in the three-match ODI series. In his last 10 ODIs, Dhawan has returned with scores of 3, 8, 7, 28, 3, 72, 8, 13, 4 and 40.
In the 50-over format this year, the southpaw has amassed 688 runs in 22 innings at an average of 34.40 and a strike rate of 74.21, including six half-centuries.
With backup openers like Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan doing well lately, questions have been raised over Dhawan’s place in the side. While Gill averages 70.88 and has a strike-rate of 102.57 from 12 ODIs this year, Kishan slammed 210 off 131 balls in the third game against Bangladesh to strengthen his selection claims in the playing XI.
Meanwhile, former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim has opined that the Indian team management should go ahead with Shikhar Dhawan only if they feel that 275-300 is the par score for them, claiming that the latter isn’t the sort of player who can make big scores at a strike rate of 130-140.
“It will depend on the team management, that what sort of cricket they are wanting to play. If the team management still believes that 275-300 is their aim, then you need Shikhar Dhawan because he is still that kind of a player. It is a different thing that he has not scored runs in this series. But if you give him an opportunity again and tell him that we have to score 275-300 only, Shikhar Dhawan’s place will be there till the World Cup. But if we have decided that our par score will be 325-350, there is no place for Dhawan," Karim said during a discussion on Sony Sports.
“So a lot will depend on the selectors and the team management, the captain, that what expectation you have. If you expect that Shikhar Dhawan will play a big knock at a strike rate of 130-140 in a 350-run game, it is not going to happen," he added.
According to Saba Karim, the Men in Blue are two-three years behind in white-ball cricket and it’s time to introduce new players in the set-up.
“I feel in the coming times, we have to achieve a lot. I feel we are two to three years behind in white-ball cricket and to get there we will need new players, players like Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Prithvi Shaw," he said.
