Shikhar Dhawan who was named the captain of the Indian ODI cricket team for the New Zealand series says he considers himself fortunate for getting an opportunity to lead the side at this stage of his career.
Shikhar Dhawan on Missing Zimbabwe Series as Captain
In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Dhawan has been named as the skipper of the side for the upcoming New Zealand ODI series.
Notably, this is the third time in 2022 that Dhawan would be leading the side, as he had earlier captained during the West Indies ODI series, and then the home ODI series against South Africa (Dhawan had also led Team India last year during the away Sri Lanka series when the main side was in England).
Ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand, Dhawan was asked about how he felt when he was removed as the captain for the Zimbabwe series at the last minute.
“You have asked a good question. I consider myself fortunate that I am getting an opportunity to lead the side at this stage of my career. I feel good about it and it is a challenge. We have won good series with a young side.
If I talk about the Zimbabwe tour, KL Rahul is the vice-captain of our main team, when he came back, I was mindful of the fact that he had to go to Asia Cup. If Rohit had gotten injured during Asia Cup, then KL might have been asked to lead. So it was better that he had the practice during the Zimbabwe tour,” Dhawan said during a pre-match press conference.
“I was not hurt. I feel that whatever happens, happens for the best. I was then selected as the captain for the South Africa series, the selectors and the team management gave me that opportunity. I never feel bad,” he added.
Talking about the 2023 World Cup, and how having options such as himself, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to open might prove as a headache for the team, Dhawan said: “We guys have been performing well for a period of time. At the same time, talking about myself, I have to keep performing. I know till the time I perform, it would be good for me. It keeps me on my toes and keeps me hungry.”
When asked about how he ensures that mental health stays in top shape in this social media age, Dhawan said: “On social media, there is trolling. We are used to it now, smart people know how to go about using social media. They know if they don’t perform, what kind of chatter will take place on social media. It totally depends on our performance. When you know it, there is no need of looking into it. That’s how I deal with it.”
The first ODI match of the India tour of New Zealand will be played on November 25 at Eden Park, Auckland.
