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Cricket PlayersIND vs WI: Dhawan on cusp of surpassing Dhoni, Yuvraj; IND captain looks to emulate Kohli's colossal feat in ODI series
In absence of top players including all-format captain Rohit Sharma, Dhawan will be captaining the side, having donned the armband in the Sri Lanka assignment last year.
Led by Shikhar Dhawan, India commence a three-match One-Day International series in Trinidad on Friday. In absence of top players including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Dhawan will be captaining the side, having donned the armband in the Sri Lanka assignment last year.
At present, the 50-over format may be under the scanner for being inconsequential, but the three games will present fringe players with valuable game time. Dhawan himself will be looking to prove a point. Earlier in May, the left-handed opener had said that he still has a lot to offer in the T20 format as he wants to play at the highest level for three more years.
Dhawan has played 34 Tests, 152 ODIs and 68 Twenty20s for India since his debut in 2010. A proven performer in the IPL, he would look to state that he can't be pigeonholed as an ODI player, especially when the World T20 is just months away.
Dhawan, who will lead India for the second time in his career, also has a few personal milestones in front of him. The 36-year-old is just one behind Kohli, who holds the record for most capped Indian player in ODIs in the West Indies.
Kohli also leads the panel when it comes to scoring runs in West Indies. With 790 runs including four tons, the star Indian batter is first among the leading run-scorers. Dhawan has managed just 348 runs in 14 matches but he can inch closer to Kohli and go past Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni.
Former skipper Dhoni has scored 458 runs (15 games), while Yuvraj and Rohit have gathered 419 and 408 runs, respectively.
Most runs by India batters in ODIs
Virat Kohli - 790 runs in 15 matches
MS Dhoni - 458 runs in 15 matches
Yuvraj Singh - 419 runs in 14 matches
Rohit Sharma - 408 runs in 14 matches
Shikhar Dhawan - 348 runs in 14 matches
In a video shared by the BCCI, Dhawan on Thursday explained how the series will be a great opportunity for squad members to show their talent. He also underlined that there are a lot of youngsters in the team.
"So the youngsters who will be going on the tour, they aren't just young but they're mature as well and they will get the exposure playing in West Indies. And they have played in the IPL as well," said Dhawan.
"With all this experience and youth ness in our ranks, I feel we will have a great series. And lots of smiles, lots of wins. Now we have won such a big series in England, but everybody couldn't do their best."
"So, West Indies is a great opportunity for us to peak over there and show our talent," he added.
