Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra showered rich praise on veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan for his magnificent performance in the first ODI against Zimbabwe.
Dhawan played an innings of substance, hitting 81* off 113 balls, as India thrashed the home team by 10 wickets.
The southpaw has scored three half-centuries in the last four ODIs. He also stitched a match-winning 192-run partnership with Shubhman Gill (82* off 72 balls).
SEE ALSO: AB de Villiers collaborates with MAD NGO to mentor underprivileged children in India
Chopra praised Dhawan and added that despite being up against the wall, he is continuing to embrace the challenge and let his bat do the talk.
“It is a simple story for Shikhi boy (Shikhar). The guy scores runs whenever he gets an opportunity. So I am extremely happy, Shikhi boy keep going. Backs to the wall, the world is against you but he is continuing to do his job because he is a happy-go-lucky guy," he said on his YouTube channel.
In addition, Aakash Chopra pointed out how KL Rahul's sudden inclusion as the captain didn't concern Dhawan because of his ‘happy go lucky’ attitude.
“He was the captain for the series, suddenly KL Rahul is para-dropped and he doesn’t remain the captain. When he was asked, he said how does it make a difference to him, he is happy KL is back, he will just play his flute and do the same with the opposition team as well," he added.
The former cricketer-turned-commentator described the 36-year-old as a ‘giant’ of ODI cricket and with the ODI World Cup in less than a year’s time, the senior opener is making a strong case for himself with these consistent performances.
“He batted well once again, played aggressively this time, batted till the end, remained not out. Shikhar Dhawan is saying repeatedly that he has to play the 2023 World Cup."
“You can play anyone you want - Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, or any other opener - in T20 cricket. He (Dhawan) is a giant of ODI cricket and you cannot move him. He is doing his job extremely well," Chopra added further.
(NEWS18 INPUTS)
