As a test cricket test for the past two years, starting batsman Shikhar Dhawan said on Sunday that he has not given up on returning to the Indian team and is looking for the next opportunities to plan his comeback.
Dhawan, 34, last played an audition against England at The Oval in September 2018.
“I am not part of the test team, but that does not mean that I have given up all hopes of a comeback,” Dhawan told television channels during an interaction.
“Every time I had a chance … like at the Ranji Trophy last year, I scored a century, then I came back to the team one day, if I have a chance why not?” Dhawan worked his way into the fastest test century by a rookie, against Australia in 2013, but has often struggled to stay consistent in the five-day game.
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At Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw, the test team has several options at their disposal for the starting role, making Dhawan’s case even more difficult.
The left-handed hitter, however, remains optimistic.
“I will continue to do my best. The T20 World Cup is there next year so I need to keep giving up, stay in shape, race consistently.
“If I keep doing this, other things will automatically fall into place.”
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Dhawan has played 34 events so far and scored 2,315 runs with seven centuries under his belt with an average of 40.61.
It remains in the scheme of things at ODI and T20I and is gearing up for IPL 2020, which will be held in UAE from September 19.
The experienced Dhawan will be attending Delhi Capitals and spoke about the challenges players face while remaining in a bio-bubble amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“There are challenges of being in the bubble, you don’t meet new people, you can’t go to restaurants, we can only go to designated areas.
“But our franchise has taken care of us, we live as a family, it depends on the person how they see the situation,” Dhawan said at a press conference.
When asked about Delhi Capitals’ chances at this IPL, Dhawan was optimistic.
“It is important that we come together and create that energy. We have a very balanced team and we are sure that we will win the cup ”. He said that Shreyas Iyer has led the team very well. He also said that the inclusion of experienced India players Ajinkya Rahane and R Ashwin will strengthen the team.
“Shreyas managed the team quite well last year, this time Ajinkya came in, Ashwin came in, they are quite experienced players and I am sure they will share their ideas.”
Due to the fewer sites and fields, he said the grounds could suffer wear and tear sooner rather than later, which will benefit spinners.
“We have Ashwin, Sandeep, Amit Mishra and Axar (Patel). We hit deep and his experience is a great advantage for us, but the whole team has to play well to win the tournament.
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