[WATCH] Shikhar Dhawan rolls the pitch, does thigh-five celebration with groundsmen
Team India batter Shikhar Dhawan shared videos of his interaction with some groundsmen on his Instagram handle on Wednesday.
In the clips, the 36-year-old is seen rolling the pitch after taking some guidance from the ground staff. He also does his famous thigh-five celebration with the groundsmen.
Dhawan was the first player to go under the hammer at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction in Bengaluru last month. He was purchased by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for ₹8.25 crore.
There were reports that the southpaw could be named captain of the team, but the franchise recently confirmed that Mayank Agarwal would lead the side.
Uploading video clips of his exchange with groundsmen, Dhawan wrote on Instagram:
“Spent this morning with groundsmen. Love their energy and enthusiasm. Appreciate and grateful for all the effort they put in.”
The left-hander was released by Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL 2022 auction despite coming up with impressive performances for the franchise in recent seasons. Last year, he smashed 587 runs in 16 games, while in the 2020 edition, Dhawan racked up 618 runs in 17 matches.
The veteran cricketer is the second-leading run-getter in the IPL, having amassed 5784 runs, including two hundreds and 44 fifties, in 192 matches at a strike rate of 126.63.
Shikhar Dhawan demoted in the BCCI's central contracts list for 2021-22
Dhawan, who represents India only in ODIs at present, was demoted in the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) central contracts list for 2021-22. The opener has been dropped from Grade A to C along with all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
Players in Grade A are offered ₹5 crore while Grade C players get paid ₹1 crore. Meanwhile, the trio of Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were downgraded from Grade A to Grade B.
Dhawan was India’s most consistent batter during the three-match ODI series in South Africa even as the Men in Blue were hammered 0-3. He registered scores of 79, 29 and 61.
He was among the players who tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the home series against West Indies. The left-hander missed the first two matches of the series. He returned for the third ODI of the series, but was dismissed for just 10.
The opener was dropped from the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year and hasn't been picked in the format since.