In a recent interview, Shikhar Dhawan, the sidelined Indian opening batter, expressed his gratitude to the current India skipper, Rohit Sharma. Dhawan credited Rohit for providing support and assurance during their batting partnership, especially when he achieved significant runs.
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, once a formidable batting duo in ODIs for India, initiated their partnership at the top of the order in 2013. Accumulating a total of 5,148 runs, they became the fourth opening pair globally to surpass the 5000-run milestone in the 50-over format. Instrumental in India’s last ICC title victory, the Champions Trophy, they consistently provided strong starts to the team. However, with the emergence of talented young players, Dhawan lost his place in the national team.
Despite falling out of favor, Dhawan has remained active in franchise cricket and is set to lead the Punjab Kings in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The experienced batsman attributes a significant portion of his international cricket success at the top of the order to his former batting partner, Rohit Sharma.
Regarded as one of India’s greatest opening pairs after Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, Dhawan and Rohit took charge following the legendary duo’s departure. They began opening together under MS Dhoni’s captaincy in 2013, forming a successful partnership that contributed to India’s triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy that year.
Over the next six years, Dhawan and Rohit maintained their form, but Dhawan’s standing in the team gradually declined after 2020. Young talents like Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad were preferred over him, while Rohit Sharma ascended to the captaincy.
Despite the slim chances of Dhawan’s comeback to the Indian team, he expressed enduring love and admiration for Rohit. Speaking to Times of India, Dhawan asserted that, in his eyes, their partnership is the most successful in limited-overs cricket for the Indian team. He acknowledged Rohit’s pivotal role in providing strong starts, laying the foundation for successful chases and big totals.
Dhawan reminisced about their most notable innings, highlighting the 193-run opening stand against Australia in the 4th ODI at Mohali in 2019 as their best. He also mentioned their 210-run partnership against Pakistan during the 2018 Asia Cup as another memorable innings. Dhawan emphasized Rohit’s role in providing comfort and assurance, attributing a significant portion of his best performances to his former opening partner. The duo accumulated over 6000 runs together, including 19 century stands and 16 half-century stands, showcasing the success and longevity of their partnership.
