‘As a leader, he’ll have a point to prove to himself’: Pathan says youngsters will be ‘very comfortable’ around Dhawan

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that Dhawan will be keen to make the most of this opportunity.

Shikhar Dhawan is getting ready for his first tour as an Indian captain. He will be under the spotlight when a bunch of young guns take the field against Sri Lanka in the upcoming limited-overs series which begins on July 13 in Colombo.

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan speaks about Shikhar Dhawan's captaincy stint (HT Collage)

Time and again Dhawan has proved his mettle on the field. Be it batting or fielding, the Delhi cricketer has been impressive. However, it still remains to be seen how he handles the pressure as an Indian captain.

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that Dhawan will be keen to make the most of this opportunity. While speaking on Star Sports’ show Game Plan, Pathan said that the opening batsman will have a point to prove to himself as his last captaincy stint in the IPL wasn’t a memorable one.

“He is a very fun-loving guy. Whenever you meet him, he is always laughing, very cheerful. The youngsters will be very comfortable around him. And I think, as a leader, he will have a point to prove – not to anyone, but for himself. Because last time he was leading an IPL side, that was not a very fruitful move for him, but that was so many years ago,” Pathan told Star Sports.

“So, if any senior guy wants to do something, he needs to convince himself – more than trying to prove a point to anyone else. So, he will be really excited for leadership, but at the same time, he will be looking forward to not only perform but also sharing his experience with all the youngsters,” he added.

Back in 2014, Shikhar Dhawan was handed the leadership of Sunrisers Hyderabad. But the move didn’t work as the team witnessed a mid-season change of leadership and Daren Sammy was given the responsibilities. SRH had traded Dhawan to Delhi Capitals in 2018.

Dhawan had a terrific outing for DC in the IPL 2021. Before the came to an abrupt halt, the left-hand batsman was the top-scorer of the tournament with 380 runs to his credit.