Punjab Kings in IPL 2023: With young 'in-form' players being given more preference over senior players in the Indian cricket setup, stylish left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan finds himself on the sidelines. Dhawan was a regular in India's ODI squad from 2013 to 2022 but was dropped from India's ODI squad for New Zealand tour of India, just a year ahead of ODI World Cup 2023 in India. The senior opener is currently leading Punjab Kings in IPL 2023 and if he performs well, he might somehow find a way back into the team for the mega ICC men's event.
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Likes of Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill are presently vying for the opening spot in white-ball formats. Meanwhile, in an interview with Ranveer Allahbadia for the latter's YouTube channel, Shikhar Dhawan broke his silence on his exile while also appreciating the talented youngster who replaced him in national roster, Shubman Gill.
"I'm not in the team. I was playing earlier, I was leading the Indian team. Now, I'm not there, I was dropped. Shubman is doing very good, and I had poor performances in 1 or 2 series, and I was dropped. But I can't sit on it and be sad. But I don't think about that. I'm like, 'Whatever god has planned for me, it's for my good'. So, I don't feel bad about that," Dhawan said.
"You can be no.1 in your field, and still be insecure. So, what's the point of being that no.1 tag," the opening batter quipped.
Dhawan also spoke about his record in ICC events.
"My record in ICC tournaments is quite good. There is no change in commitment level in such competitions. My process has always remained the same. I feel that the wickets are much better in ICC tournaments.
"They are played at natural venues, and there are true wickets. Whereas in bilaterals, there are times when you don't get true wickets," he said.