Exclusive | Why is Shikhar Dhawan Set to be Snubbed in 2023 World Cup Squad? Ex-West Indies Captain Explains
Shikhar Dhawan is unlikely to play for India in the 2023 ODI World Cup (Getty Images)
Shikhar Dhawan, one of India’s greatest ODI openers, last played a 50-over game last December in Bangladesh. The 37-year-old has not played since then, which suggests that the Men in Blue will not give him a spot in the upcoming ODI World Cup at home, scheduled to begin on October 5.
What causes this? Why will not Dhawan, one of India's most dependable performers at ICC events, get one last dance before retiring? Former West Indies captain Daren Ganga explained this in a recent interaction with OneCricket in a segment named ‘Beyond The Stumps’.
While calling Dhawan a ‘phenomenal player’, Ganga highlighted how India’s grooming youngsters have been rising through their ranks at the international level. The 44-year-old also mentioned there should be a balance between youngsters and experienced players at the mega-events, and India is just doing the same by giving more opportunities to Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan.
"He's (Dhawan) a phenomenal player. His stats in ICC tournaments are very impressive. But with all due respect to him, I think India has sufficient young talent to fill that void that he has created by not being around. I'm respectful of what he's contributed to Indian cricket, but I feel that with the competition, with the young players knocking on the door, he had to make way for them.
You think of Shubman Gill, who's dominated in his short career, and so is Ishan Kishan, who is now grabbing his opportunities at the international level. That is the balancing act that I'm talking about. You still want to have a certain amount of youth athletic ability with young players on your side to be in and around the senior players," Ganga told OneCricket.
In the recent ODI series in the Caribbean, India asked Ishan Kishan to begin the innings on all three occasions. He took the opportunity with both hands, aggregating 184 runs to win the Player of the Series award. The southpaw is now likely to be the backup opener for the Men in Blue in the World Cup, with Shubman Gill potentially pairing up with Rohit Sharma at the top.
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