"The walls were coming in close to him" - Sanjay Manjrekar reacts to Shikhar Dhawan's snub from ODI squad against Sri Lanka

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has suggested that Shikhar Dhawan's omission from the ODI squad to face Sri Lanka didn't surprise him much. Manjrekar claimed that given the success of Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill at the top, Dhawan's lack of runs was going to hurt him.

Dhawan struggled in the series against Bangladesh and had no place in India's 16-man ODI squad for the three ODIs against Sri Lanka. The veteran batter has only passed double figures once in the last five 50-over innings, including three single-figure scores in the ODI series in Bangladesh.

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Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Manjrekar opined that the ever-increasing competition in the team has made it challenging for Dhawan to retain his place. The 57-year-old feels Shubman Gill is one of the leading contenders to open the batting in 50-overs cricket based on his current form, while Ishan Kishan is a close second.

He said:

"You got to feel for Shikhar Dhawan because the walls were coming in close to him. He lost his place in the T20I and Test teams. But considering all that, he was making a contribution and the odd innings were showing the spark Shikhar Dhawan has. But the thing is India is such a batting country that if you go a little quiet and don't get as many opportunities, there are always people staking a claim."

"Currently, when I look at Gill in Tests, ODIs, and T20s, one-day cricket is his true calling based on his current form. That's what has made life difficult for Shikhar Dhawan. As they say, never say never, so who knows, what his future holds. At the moment, I see Shubman Gill as a great fit to open in 50-overs cricket plus there's the option of Ishan Kishan."

Gill, one of the most promising young batters, averages a healthy 57.25 in 15 ODIs, scoring a century and four fifties. In 12 games in 2022, the right-handed batter has 638 runs at 70.88, striking at 102.57.

On the other hand, Kishan made headlines when he struck the fastest double-ton in ODIs in a recent game against Bangladesh. He also became the fourth Indian to achieve this feat.

"Who thought Hardik Pandya would be such a raging success in the IPL as captain?" - Sanjay Manjrekar

Manjrekar went on to state that Hardik Pandya's success as a captain in IPL 2022 surprised plenty and felt the leadership duties at the international level have come to him at the right time.

Shedding light on KL Rahul's demotion, Manjrekar added:

"We were all actually taken by surprise. Who thought Hardik Pandya would be such a raging success in the IPL as captain? But just the way he handled the team and how he looked as a leader was surprising. It was a pleasant surprise and considering that he is bowling now and the impact he is making, it's the right to reward him with leadership. Well deserved."

"KL Rahul's form is starting to make his situation tricky. He didn't have a great T20 World Cup and looked a little out of sorts in the Test series against Bangladesh."

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Pandya will lead India in the T20 series against Sri Lanka and serve as Rohit Sharma's deputy for the ODIs. The all-rounder is likely to lead the side in the 2024 T20 World Cup.