India has travelled to Zimbabwe to play three ODIs from Thursday. Shikhar Dhawan will be KL Rahul's deputy in the series, while he has revealed that he constantly shares his experience with the youngsters in the side.
Senior opener Shikhar Dhawan might have been relegated to vice-captaincy after wicketkeeper-opener KL Rahul's late inclusion in the Team India squad for the short Zimbabwe tour. However, being the side's senior-most player during the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series, he is always ready to lend a helping hand to the youngsters striving for him. Dhawan was all set to lead the team during the tour. However, despite being the deputy captain, he is eager to put his best foot forward.
"I quite enjoy sharing my experience with the youngsters in the team. I first came here in 2014 [2013], when Duncan Fletcher was the Indian coach. If they [the youngsters] reach out to me for any suggestions, I am here to answer them," Dhawan said during the pre-series press conference in Harare.
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The 36-year-old southpaw is happy that Rahul will get the much-needed game time ahead of the vital Asia Cup T20 2022. "It is excellent news that KL is back and will also lead the side. He is one of the main players of this Indian team. It will be a good outing for him before the Asia Cup. I am sure he will gain a lot from this tour," Dhawan assessed.
All-rounder Washington Sundar, a sure starter against Zimbabwe, was unfortunately ruled out of the tour after injuring his left shoulder during the Royal London One Day Cup 2022, playing for Lancashire. The 22-year-old had last worn the Indian colours during the Windies series in February 2021.
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"It's sad that Washington is out. He is quite an important player for the side. But, it's part and parcel. Injuries happen. I hope he will recover soon. He will be missed as a spinner, but we have a good back-up through Kuldeep Yadav and Deepak Hooda, who also bowls off-spin," Dhawan reckoned.
While India is back in the southern African nation for the first time since 2016, Dhawan thought the Indian team should not take Zimbabwe lightly, especially after its recent series win against Bangladesh. "They have won against Bangladesh. They are playing good cricket. It's good for us, and we cannot take anything for granted. It's about the process," he clarified.
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"Regardless of the team we are facing, we always make sure we do things right to get the right results. That will again be our focus as a team," Dhawan asserted. He also praised senior Zimbabwean batter Sikandar Raza and believed that the Indian bowlers would have to do clever bowling to contain him.
"He [Raza] is an outstanding player. He has been playing for Zimbabwe for a long time. He is a quality player. I am sure our bowlers will come up with nice plans against him," said Dhawan. He added that the Zimbabwe series will be paramount for quite a few youngsters, like Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan, and Ishan Kishan, and considers that the exposure they will get will be immensely advantageous to them in the coming days.
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"The youngsters, these days, have got more exposure. They are confident, and they have got good technique. Their confidence level is quite high because of domestic and IPL. We feel that we have got so many options. It is a healthy sign for the team," Dhawan concluded.
(With inputs from PTI)