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Veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan had a glorious run with Rohit Sharma while opening the innings in the limited-overs format. Dhawan and Rohit laid the foundations for gigantic totals, and the senior batters also masterminded several iconic run-chases in the One Day International (ODI) format. For the record, Dhawan and Rohit smashed 5,148 runs while opening the batting for Team India from 2013 to 2022 in ODIs.
The India duo is the fourth in ODI history to cross the 5000-run mark as openers. Only Sachin Tendulkar-Sourav Ganguly, Adam Gilchrist-Matthew Hayden, and Gordon Greenidge-Desmond Haynes have achieved the staggering feat in the 50-over format. While Dhawan has fallen behind in the pecking order, Rohit is India’s all-format opener and leader in the international arena.
Dhawan on collaboration with India skipper Rohit
Speaking to the Times of India about his camaraderie with Rohit, senior batter Dhawan credited the Indian skipper for his best performances. “My collaboration with Rohit & his support at the other end at the top of the order has been instrumental in providing strong starts to the team, setting the foundation for successful chases and big totals. I seriously give credit for a lot of my best performances to Rohit’s support,” Dhawan said.
‘Our best innings was…’
Taking a trip down memory lane, the out-of-favour batter also picked his best opening stand with Rohit. “Rohit on the other end gives that sense of comfort and assurance. I think our best innings was a 193-run opening stand against Australia in the fourth ODI at Mohali in 2019 & the second best will be against Pakistan in the 2018 Asia Cup in Dubai where we put together a 210-run stand for the first wicket,” Dhawan added.
Why Dhawan not playing for India
Deemed surplus to requirements, Dhawan last played for India back in 2022. The 38-year-old scored 3 off 8 balls in a match where opener Ishan Kishan struck a record-setting double century (210) against Bangladesh at Chattogram. Dhawan was promoted to captaincy in 2021 and dropped from the Indian squad in 2023. The rapid rise of Kishan and Shubman Gill sealed Dhawan’s abrupt exit from the Indian white-ball squad.
What’s next for Dhawan
Dhawan featured in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs and 68 T20Is for India. The star batter will lead Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). With the highest score of 99, the PBKS skipper scored 373 runs in 11 games at IPL 2023. Under Dhawan’s leadership, Punjab finished eighth in IPL 2023 standings. The Indian southpaw is Punjab’s 14th captain in the seventeenth year of the IPL. Dhawan and Co. have roped in Harshal Patel, Rilee Rossouw, and Chris Woakes at the auction for the 2024 season.
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