Shikhar Dhawan should have been included in the squad: Ex-Selector MSK Prasad

Former chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad, feels Shikhar Dhawan's omission from the 18-man squad for the upcoming tour against South Africa is unfair to the batter.

He added that "They could have given Dhawan an opportunity in this series before completely overlooking him,"

BCCI recently announced the squad for the T20 series against the Proteas starting 9th June, senior players such as Kohli, Rohit and Bumrah were rested, and KL Rahul was named the man to lead the men in blues.

It was being speculated that Dhawan, who has been out from the Indian side in the shortest format of the game, would be called up for this series and even might lead the side in the absence of senior players. However, it came as a shock to everyone and especially the player, when he couldn't even find a place in the squad.

Reacting to the omission, Prasad added, "I personally felt that they should have tried him in this series. If they were not happy with him, they could have gone ahead. Maybe because Ishan Kishan and other guys have played the (2021 T20) World Cup, they are sticking on with them rather than trying out somebody else. I have a feeling like that. But I think Shikhar has definitely missed the bus. But they should have tried him in this series. They should have gone past him if they were still not happy with him."

Dhawan, who was left out of the squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup despite an impress 600+ runs in IPL 2021, last played a T20i representing India almost a year ago in July 2021. However, the veteran has always performed well in domestic leagues such as IPL. In last year's IPL, Gabbar scored above 600+ runs and this year, he bagged 460 runs in 14 matches, ranking 4th on the orange cap list. 

It is reported that Rahul Dravid wanted the younger generation to take charge of the squad in the T20. Hence, it is speculated to be one of the significant reasons behind Gabbar's omission. 

Dhawan's fans were disappointed with his omission for apparent reasons. They feel if Hardik and Karthik can make a comeback in the squad, then why not Dhawan, who is consistent with his performance in the shorter format.

Talking about his consistency, Prasad, too, spoke about it. He said that "Shikhar is also a proven customer in ICC tournaments. So somewhere, I felt that maybe they could have given him an opportunity in this series before completely overlooking him," concluding his interview.