Shikhar Dhawan may have led India a number of times whenever regular captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli before him or their deputies were not involved. However, there have also been constant questions about the veteran opener's place in the squad, so much so that he is now almost firmly out of the T20I setup.
It seems to be a different in ODIs, however, with Dhawan having rarely missed any 50-over match that India have played in the last two years. He is widely expected to open the batting with regular skipper Rohit Sharma next year in the World Cup, even though questions continued to be asked whenever he is dismissed for a low score. This was the case after the first ODI against South Africa, in which he fell after scoring just four runs 16 balls. India went on to lose the match by nine runs.
Former wicketkeeper Saba Karim has however said that Dhawan is almost certain to be with the team going into the 2023 World Cup. "Shikhar Dhawan's place in the team has been confirmed. There's no need to put pressure on him all the time. There will be one or two matches where he won't score runs. I think the selectors have decided that Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will be the openers in the next 50-over World Cup," he said on India News.
{{/usCountry}}Former wicketkeeper Saba Karim has however said that Dhawan is almost certain to be with the team going into the 2023 World Cup. "Shikhar Dhawan's place in the team has been confirmed. There's no need to put pressure on him all the time. There will be one or two matches where he won't score runs. I think the selectors have decided that Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will be the openers in the next 50-over World Cup," he said on India News.
{{/usCountry}}Karim also reckoned that fast bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur may find it difficult to cement a spot in the first team, regardless of how well he performs with the ball or bat, as he isn't a strike pacer and cannot be taken into the team purely as a batter. On the other hand, Hardik Pandya, who has made a sensational comeback into the Indian team over the past one year, is someone who is invaluable as a lower middle order batter and has proven himself as an important third or fourth seamer for India.
“He is a very useful player. But Hardik Pandya is a batting all-rounder, while Shardul Thakur is a bowling all-rounder. That's a big difference. We can surely groom Shardul. But I don't see him becoming India's No.1 of No.2 bowler in white-ball cricket. He can only play as a third seamer. If he can bat well, it will be an added advantage,” he said.