“There’s always a possibility, anything can happen” – Shikhar Dhawan on his comeback ahead of 2023 World Cup
Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan has confirmed that he is keen to make his Team India comeback ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
The 37-year-old said that he will continue to work on his fitness standards, skills and mental health to ensure he is fully ready to grab the opportunity with both hands ahead of the 2023 World Cup
Speaking to Aaj Tak, Dhawan said:
“No, I have not accepted that I won’t make my comeback. There’s always a possibility, anything can happen. If I can get dropped after one or two series, I can also get back to the fold. As long as I am in this field, I will give my 100 percent.”
He continued:
“I am a very process-oriented person. Staying fit, training, working on my skills, and mental health. So, I will continue to work on them. If any opportunity arises, I should be ready to grasp it. I will always be ready.”
Dhawan, who is IPL’s second-highest run-scorer, amassed 460 runs in 14 matches, including three half-centuries last year. He will be looking for another breakthrough season with the bat as PBKS aim to win their maiden IPL trophy.
“They only backed me previously” – Shikhar Dhawan on getting dropped from Team India
Shikhar Dhawan has spoken about the importance of thought-process after getting dropped from Team India. He explained how the team management backed him during his lean patch with Team India.
On this, he said:
“How do I handle myself? It’s all about the thought process. Now that I am out of the team, I can think that there was politics. Another thought is that they only backed me previously.”
Dhawan was backed by Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma despite scoring just 41 runs in three ODIs during the India tour of England in 2022. The southpaw then emerged as the second-highest run-getter for Team India during the tour of the West Indies and Zimbabwe last year.
Shikhar Dhawan emerged as the second-highest run-scorer in ODIs after Shreyas Iyer in 2022 but failed to deliver in his last nine ODIs, scoring 146 runs at an average of 16.2. The left-hander scored 25 and 18 in the three-match ODI series against South Africa and Bangladesh, respectively.