Although the focus is firmly on the 2022 T20 World Cup, India also has an eye on the 2023 World Cup. Since the team is in a transition, there are a few spots that are up for grabs. India is taking a new approach in the shorter formats and there are discussions on dropping a few cricketers who were at their peak in the previous management. Amidst this, India’s former fielding coach R Sridhar has said that the conversation regarding dropping experienced batter Shikhar Dhawan should be stopped until the 2023 World Cup.
R Sridhar backs experienced Indian cricketer
Shikhar is currently part of the ODI setup. In fact, he captained India in the recent ODI series against West Indies and will repeat it against Zimbabwe. However, there are doubts if his conservative approach would help the squad. His form, too, has not been at its exact best recently. R Sridhar addressed this in a recent interview.
The former India fielding coach, while speaking to cricket.com said, “About Dhawan, he has been invaluable to Indian cricket for the last eight or nine years, especially in white-ball format. He has been a great foil to both Rohit and Virat.” He stressed that the Delhi southpaw has had a vital contribution as a left-hander in the top order.
Sridhar explained that Dhawan’s fitness is better than in the past years and said that he also understands the game better. Talking about his place in the Indian Team, the Hyderabad-based coach opined, “When it comes to ODI cricket, we don’t want to look beyond him too much or at least till the 2023 World Cup, and in the shorter format, he is a back-up better.” By quoting his recent form, including in the IPL, Sridhar finished his argument, saying, “He is going nowhere till the 2023 World Cup, in my opinion.”
The 2023 World Cup is vital for India’s legacy
From the 2011 World Cup, it is the host nation that is winning the 50-over World Cup. Hence, considering India is a powerhouse in world cricket, it is important that they win the next event at home.
Even otherwise, the ICC trophy cabinet is dry in recent years. The new management’s main objective is to win trophies. Therefore, the 2023 World Cup will be really crucial to BCCI.
