“Good For World Cricket”: Shikhar Dhawan On India Playing Against Zimbabwe

KL Rahul-led Team India would be squaring off against Zimbabwe in the three-match ODI series, beginning Thursday. Left-handed batter Shikhar Dhawan will be acting as Rahul’s deputy and it would be interesting to see how the team performs against the hosts. Originally, Dhawan was named as the captain for the young Indian team, but once Rahul was deemed fit, he was chosen as the leader. Two days before the start of the series, Dhawan addressed a press conference where he spoke about team’s preparation and having Rahul back in the team.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Shahbaz Ahmed has replaced “injured” Washington Sundar for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, beginning August 18 in Harare. Sundar had injured his shoulder while playing a County game in England and hence he was ruled out.

“It is very good news that KL Rahul is back and will be leading the side. He is one of the main players of the team, Asia Cup is coming, so it is good for him and I hope he will gain a lot from this tour. It is sad that Washington Sundar has been ruled out of this tour. It is part and parcel, injuries happen, hope he recovers soon,” said Dhawan.

“I guess, when Zimbabwe players start winning, their players will get noticed and the players will get exposure as well. We will plan for every player. I want to do well and score runs for the team. I will keep a positive mindset, it is a good opportunity for me,” he added.

Talking about Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, Dhawan said: “Sikandar is a very good player, he has been playing for Zimbabwe for a long time. He is a quality player, I am sure players will come up with nice plans for him. They will have their bowlers’ meeting.”

“It is very good for world cricket that we are playing against Zimbabwe, it is good for us and them. It is good for them to play against a quality side. We have got young guys here, it is an opportunity for us to try the younger guys. It is a good exposure for both teams and this is how Zimbabwe will also get better when they get to play against quality sides,” he added.

Talking about ODIs, Dhawan said: “It is a beautiful format. It is a balanced format where you should know when to attack, and when to defence. It is not a rushed format, it is about understanding when to attack, and when to defence, for both batters and bowlers. I really enjoy playing this format.”

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“I quite enjoy sharing my experience with the youngsters in the team. I first came here in 2014 (sic), when Duncan Fletcher was the Indian coach. If they (youngsters) reach out to me for any suggestions, I am (always) there to answer them,” he added.

India’s squad for 3 ODIs: KL Rahul (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohd Siraj, Deepak Chahar, Shahbaz Ahmed.