Shikhar Dhawan was not named to India’s first ODI series in 2023. Dhawan, who was once India’s go-to man in the ODI format, was dropped from the team announced by the Chetan Sharma-led selection committee. Dhawan recently played in the Bangladesh One-Day International series, where India lost 2-1 to the Tigers. After Dhoni’s team lost in 2015, this was India’s only second ODI series loss in the neighbouring country.
The selection committee made drastic changes to the team, removing Rishabh Pant and Varun Dhawan. Despite the presence of KL Rahul, the committee also appointed Hardik Pandya as vice captain, which could indicate a significant shift in the status quo.
Shikhar Dhawan has been dropped from the upcoming series against Sri Lanka 🏏
Is this the end of the great partnership? 🤔#CricketTwitter #india #shikhardhawan pic.twitter.com/7YxX2hSb31
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) December 28, 2022
In January, the Men in Blue will play three T20Is against the Lankan Lions, followed by three ODIs. Dhawan, who was already out of the picture in the game’s shortest format, has been left out of the 16-man ODI squad led by Rohit Sharma.
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Former India selector Saba Karim previously stated that if India wanted to move forward with their ODI squad, they would need to drop Dhawan, and Ishan Kishan’s double century in Bangladesh may have been the final nail in the coffin for the left-handed batter.
Shikhar Dhawan post after getting dropped from national team.
Never give up legend. You are an inspiration for everyone, always being joyful no matter whatever the situation be. ❤️#ShikharDhawan #Dhawan #INDvsSL pic.twitter.com/sDYvBVcYYD
— CrickWizard (@crickwizzard) December 28, 2022
The 37-year-old has consistently performed well in international cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, it appears that Dhawan’s stellar international career is coming to an end. With the ODI World Cup in 2023 on the horizon, selectors have favoured youngsters such as Ishan Kishan over Dhawan. However, die-hard Dhawan fans are rooting for the big-hitting opener to rediscover his form and return to the ODI team.
Shikhar Dhawan has been named captain of the Punjab Kings franchise for the IPL 2023 season. If Dhawan can demonstrate his run-scoring prowess in the IPL, he can certainly make a comeback in ODIs and compete in the World Cup in 2024.
