Shikhar Dhawan, one of the best white-ball openers for India in recent times, is not in the scheme of things for the national side in any of the formats currently but is content with the amount of cricket he got to play for the Men in Blue. Dhawan, who last played for India on the Bangladesh tour in December 2022, was expecting a call-up in the squad for the Asian Games when the first-choice team had begun its World Cup campaign in October 2023 and admittedly was disappointed not to see his name on the list.
Dhawan, however, said that he have learned to accept the decisions of the selectors but haven't been in contact with any of them regarding his future. "When my name was not there (for Asian Games), I was a bit shocked. But, then, I was like they have a different thought process, you just have to accept it. I have not spoken to any selector (about my future). I keep going to NCA. I enjoy my time there, the facilities are great. NCA has shaped my career and I am grateful for it," Dhawan was quoted as saying to TOI.
Dhawan, who played over 230 matches across ODIs and T20Is in white-ball cricket, played just 34 Test matches for India, his last game being in 2018. Dhawan did start his Test career with a magnificent 187 against Australia, as memorable a debut as it could get, however, he struggled later on in overseas conditions especially. The 38-year-old mentioned that age and focus on white-ball cricket became the main factors for him after not being part of the Test team.
"In 2018, I played my final Test match for the national team. After this, I have completely focused on white-ball formats (ODIs & T20Is). I am not in the Test team for the last 4-5 years. The age factor is also there in every cricketer's life - a sportsman's life is different. Since I am not playing Test matches, I will give rest to my body, and stay fresh for the shorter formats of the game," he added.
Dhawan scored 2,315 runs in 58 innings of 34 matches averaging 40.61 before he was sidelined and Rohit Sharma was promoted to the top of the order as he was doing in white-ball cricket and the current Indian skipper did well in Tests as well, as an opener and since then he just never looked back.
Dhawan continues to play in the IPL and led Punjab Kings in the 2023 edition as well and will be hoping to have another strong season with the bat.
