'I would like to be an asset' - Shikhar Dhawan opines on his future in Indian cricket

Shikhar Dhawan is unarguably one of India's best openers in ODI cricket. Recently, he opined on his future. Indian cricket is going through an experimental phase. Different openers were tried out in the recently concluded T20I series against West Indies. However, Shikhar Dhawan and Shubhman Gill were the constant openers in the ODI series.

Virat Kohli has taken a break from the sport to maintain his mental fitness. The veteran has been in a mud since November 2019. There was a time when every bowler feared bowling to him. But the tables have turned now and the youngsters are stepping up. Shikhar Dhawan, the one who played in all three formats is playing only in the ODI format. Now, the left-handed opener from Delhi has spoken up about his future. He said to Hindustan Times that he wants to be an asset and not a liability.

“Till the time I am playing for India, I would like to be an asset and not a liability. I am a calm, mature person. The performance is a reflection of my experience. My basics have been pretty strong, and I have put in a lot of work to improve my technique. Understanding a format is also very important. I understand the dynamics of the ODI format, and that has helped me a lot,” Dhawan said to Hindustan Times.

The Delhi opener is one of the most underrated players in the Indian T20 League as well. He has been significantly consistent in the league, and has scored over four hundred runs in the recently concluded season. The southpaw will be leading India once again for the Zimbabwe ODI series. He became the only Indian captain to whitewash West Indies in their own backyard.

“I never let this feeling creep into my system that ‘Oh God, I am playing only one format or I am playing an ODI series after a long time. Will my body respond well to the rigours of international cricket, or will it not?’ Frankly speaking, I don’t like entertaining these thoughts. I view it like this. If I am playing a format after a gap of two months or three months, it always gives me a chance to remain fresh and come into battle fully fit and with enough time to work on my game,” Dhawan concluded.