It seems like Shikhar Dhawan might have played his last for the Indian team with his non-selection in the squad for the Asia Cup and probably the World Cup as well being the last nail in the coffin. Dhawan hasn't played for India since December 2022 and will have to wait on the sidelines for more time and probably forever, as far as the national team is concerned. At the press conference for squad announcement on Monday, August 21, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar was asked about Dhawan's future.
Agarkar didn't say it in exact words but he did say that Dhawan will have to wait as skipper Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan are their preferred openers and at this point, they can only fit three of them in the squad.
''At the moment we have just spoken about three openers. Rohit is not a bad player, Shubman has had a phenomenal year, year and a half, two years. Ishan Kishan (is another one). Shikhar has been a terrific player for India. We know his record, we know what he's done. I don't think since December (he has played for India). At the moment there are three guys who are doing really well and you can fit only 15 in a team. Unfortunately, sometime somebody has to miss out. These three guys have been prolific for India. So, at the moment these are our preferred openers,'' he said.
Dhawan, who has been a brilliant performer for India in ICC events, especially, wasn't at his best in the last phase of ODI cricket he played for India recording six single-digit scores in last 10 innings and his strike rate also came under the scanner with Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan scoring for runs. As he admitted in a recent interview, Kishan's double hundred against Bangladesh was probably the big moment, which ended up being his last series in the format for the Men in Blue.
