"That wasn't fair" - Aakash Chopra on why Shikhar Dhawan might be overlooked for T20 WC squad
Aakash Chopra has opined that Shikhar Dhawan might not be in Team India's scheme of things for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The former India opener feels the southpaw was unfairly treated during the series against England.
Team India is in Sri Lanka for a white-ball tour, comprising of three ODIs and as many T20Is. Shikhar Dhawan leads a pack of batsmen who will be fighting for limited available slots in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra opined that Team India might be looking beyond Shikhar Dhawan. He reasoned that the 35-year-old was sidelined after just one T20I in the series against England.
"I feel the team might not be looking at him [Dhawan]. It is just my thought because last when you played him in the T20Is, he played just one match and was dropped for four. That wasn't fair, to begin with."
However, the cricketer-turned-commentator added that Dhawan could still be in the reckoning if he has a good series against Sri Lanka, considering his exploits thus far in IPL 2021. Aakash Chopra said:
"However, his IPL has been so good that you again want to go towards him but can't keep doing this, that you do one thing first and then the other thing. But they have made him the captain now, so if he does well, his name will be there in the list."
While Shikhar Dhawan has enjoyed great success in ODI cricket, he has not been as prolific in the shortest version of the game at the international level. With Virat Kohli expressing his desire to bat at the top of the order and KL Rahul waiting in the wings, it might be slightly difficult for the left-handed opener to make it to the Indian T20 World Cup squad.
Aakash Chopra on the batsmen in contention for India's T20 World Cup squad
While observing that Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are certainties as specialist batsmen in India's T20 World Cup squad, Aakash Chopra named Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer as the possible candidates for the two available slots.
"I feel Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer - two out of these four might get picked. Ishan Kishan, Manish Pandey and Sanju Samson might actually fall behind in this race."
The 43-year-old signed off by stating that Manish Pandey is quite far down in the pecking order. Aakash Chopra elaborated:
"Manish Pandey's stocks are a little low for sure because when he plays at the top, he doesn't play that fast and he doesn't do well even for his franchise down the order. So, I feel he has the lowest stocks amongst all these unless he has a great tour of Sri Lanka."
The limited-overs series against Sri Lanka might play a defining role in deciding India's squad for the T20 World Cup. It is the last international white-ball series the Indian team will be playing before the global event, although the selectors will also consider the performances in the remainder of IPL 2021.