India's seasoned one day opener Shikhar Dhawan on Wednesday, named Mahendra Singh Dhoni as his favourite captain and fellow opening partner Rohit Sharma as his most sought after batting partner in international cricket.
Dhawan revealed this during a rapid-fire round with former Indian bowler Irfan Pathan on an Instagram Live video session. "(Best batting partner will be) Rohit Sharma... I have only played under Virat and Dhoni, so, as of now, Dhoni bhai," Dhawan said in the video.
Dhawan labelled his Delhi mate and national skipper Virat Kohli as the 'best current Indian batsman'. Dhawan also showered praise on Rohit Sharma for his stupendous performance in the last year's ICC World Cup in England, saying that 'Rohit did brilliantly in the World Cup as he scored five centuries'.
When Pathan asked Dhawan to name the toughest bowler he has ever faced, the southpaw named Australia's tearway speedster Mitchell Starc.
The 34-year-old also said that he doesn't have any problem in facing the fast bowlers. "Everyone has their own views, I am an opening batsman. I have done that role for India for eight years now, so obviously I play the fast bowlers.
If I do not face them in the first over, then I eventually do in the second over. I do not like taking strike on the first ball of the match and I am honest about it but if any youngster comes in the side then I would obviously ask them if they are comfortable taking the strike or not," the left-handed batsman said.
Responding to Pathan on a question about his move to SRH, Dhawan revelead that it was a major challenge for him to switch from SunRisers Hyderabad to Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"It was a big challenge for me when I was playing for Delhi Capitals, I played with Hyderabad for eight years, it was a challenge for me to play for Delhi, but I saw it as an opportunity to perform for a new side, I had experience and when you have that, you can find the solutions, Delhi was at the bottom of the table at that time as well but I needed that change, I loved the support staff, I was the senior-most player there during the last season but I loved playing for Delhi," Dhawan told Pathan during the session.