'Doesn't get the accolades he deserves': Ravi Shastri on veteran Indian batter

Dhawan in action vs New Zealand [Source: Twitter]

Former India head coach, Ravi Shastri has showered praise on opener Shikhar Dhawan, stating that the left-hander doesn't get the praise which he actually deserves.

Dhawan is currently leading the Indian side against New Zealand in the ODI series, and the southpaw showed his class in the opening game, as he scored 72 and formed a 124-run stand for the opening wicket alongside Shubman Gill.

Speaking to the official broadcaster, Shastri said:

 "He's vastly experienced, he doesn't get the accolade which he deserves. To be honest, most of the spotlight is on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. But when you look at his ODI record, you look at some of the innings he's played against top-teams in big tournaments, it's an outstanding record."

Shastri added: "A left-hander at the top makes a lot of difference. He is a natural stroke-player, he has got all the shots to counter top class fast bowling, the pull, the cut, the drive. I think his experience will be handy here. There are a lot of talented players around, but I think in this format of the game, his experience will be valuable."

As far as the game is concerned, India posted 306 on the board, courtesy of a blinder from Shreyas Iyer (80 off 76), and a late cameo from Washington Sundar (37* off 16).

At the time of writing, New Zealand are 79 for 2 inside 18 overs.

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