Shikhar Dhawan got off to a slow start in the Indian Premier League 2020, as he was struggling to get past the 20s and 30s in the first few games for Delhi Capitals. With Dhawan also having a slow strike rate in the first few games, there were even suggestions that he might be replaced by Ajinkya Rahane. But all those doubts have been dispelled as Dhawan the destroyer has arrived in the UAE.
In the past four games, Dhawan has smashed two fifties and two hundreds. He became the first-ever player to hit back-to-back hundreds in the history of IPL after he smashed an unbeaten 106 against Kings XI Punjab in DC’s previous game.
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In a recent interview with news agency ANI, Dhawan revealed how a chat with head coach Ricky Ponting about his slow starts gave him confidence that he was on the right track.
“Ricky bhai said that I was batting well and I knew I wanted to play a little fast. I had a discussion on that also with him. I was happy with the 20s and 30s because they were impactful.
“What matters in T20s is how important those 30 runs were. I thought I was playing the role of the opener. The moment I got fifties, I gained in confidence and then by God’s grace I scored the centuries,” Dhawan explained.
{{/usCountry}}“What matters in T20s is how important those 30 runs were. I thought I was playing the role of the opener. The moment I got fifties, I gained in confidence and then by God’s grace I scored the centuries,” Dhawan explained.
{{/usCountry}}“If I keep thinking about scoring centuries, I will burden myself. My idea is to go out and give it my best shot. If I give it my best, the rest will follow. That also helps to keep me mentally light. Why should I add to my expectations?” Dhawan further added.
“Like, going into the first few games of the season, I didn’t have any fifty or anything so 500 runs in the season looked a distant dream. But I have been scoring 500 over the last few seasons, so rather than using it as a pressure scenario, I looked at it positively and thought it is good if I achieve it, else I will try and do my best for the team.
“The idea is to keep it simple and be disciplined. Simple isn’t as simple as it sounds, you also need to be mentally strong,” Dhawan signed off.