E-Paper
Sign in
'I would go with...': Shikhar Dhawan throws weight behind Shreyas Iyer's readymade replacement for World Cup
Shikhar Dhawan feels that the Team India star can be a readymade replacement for Shreyas Iyer at the World Cup.
With the experimental Indian side facing a selection dilemma in the lead-up to the World Cup 2023, veteran India opener Shikhar Dhawan has backed a regular starter to claim the vacant No.4 batting position. Two of the finest batters in the current Indian white-ball setup, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are in a race against time to seal their respective spots for the ICC World Cup 2023.
As per the latest developments, the middle-order regulars in India's One Day International (ODI) squad are nothing but doubtful starters for the 2023 edition of the Asia Cup. What will happen if Rahul and Iyer fail to recover before Asia Cup? The batting duo will have to prove their match fitness for the World Cup in India's final assignment against Australia next month.
India's final stop before the home World Cup will be the three-match series (September 22-27) against Australia. In the absence of Iyer and Rahul, star batters Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson have emerged as strong contenders to secure the No.4 batting spot in the India lineup. Though youngster Tilak Varma has also earned plaudits in his debut series, Dhawan strongly believes it should be Suryakumar, who can be tried as the No.4 batter at the ODI World Cup.
'I would go with Surya at four'
"I would go with Surya at four as he is an experienced player and has been playing international cricket for a while," Dhawan told news agency PTI on Thursday. Suryakumar has struggled to live up to expectations in the 50-over format. The top-ranked T20I batter had a troublesome batting average in ODI cricket. The 32-year-old has an average of 24.33 in 26 matches for India.
The premier batter also capped off a forgetful ODI series against the West Indies in the Caribbean. Nicknamed SKY, the Mumbai Indians (MI) superstar registered below-par scores of 19, 24 and 35 in the three-match ODI series against the Men from the Caribbean. Before the West Indies series, Suryakumar was dismissed for three consecutive first-ball ducks against Australia in March.
‘Looking forward to see how Shubman does in World Cup’
Dhawan, who was overlooked by selectors for the Asian Games, asserted that he will be keeping an eye on youngster Shubman Gill and veteran opener Rohit at the ODI World Cup. "Also, really looking forward to see how Shubman Gill does in the World Cup. Another batter to watch out for will be Rohit Sharma as he did exceptionally well in the last World Cup. We have got a very good side which has the right blend of experience and youth. We will have the home advantage. We know the grounds and pitches and that is going to come in very handy," Dhawan added.
