Shikhar Dhawan, who has been the man of ICC tournaments for India over the years, has passed its peak time according to some cricket experts and now Indian cricket needs the young talent who can raise his hand on every occasion and replace Shikhar Dhawan as an Indian opener.The exclusion of Shikhar Dhawan from the T20 World Cup 2021 was an indication that the Indian selection committee is looking for the best replacement for the Indian opener and someone who can fill his boots perfectly. Here, are some of the alternatives which can fill the opening slot without any doubt-
1. Mayank Agarwal
He is in one of his hot forms of life and could prove to be an ideal replacement for Shikhar Dhawan in test matches. Whenever the Indian team needed his support, he always stepped up to the occasion to provide his class and prove his worth. He also played some exceptional knocks during the New Zealand tour of India.
2. Venkatesh Iyer
The young left-handed batter has shown a glimpse of his class in IPL 2021, scoring 370 runs in merely 10 matches with an average of more than 40. Even after being part of playing XI post-Covid IPL, he emerged as the leading run scorer for Kolkata Knight Riders. He is certainly one of the top contenders to grab the position of Shikhar Dhawan because of him being left left-hander batsman and also an attacking option. He can also give you some overs as well.
3. Kl Rahul
For a long time, Kl Rahul has been consistent in the Indian Cricket Team with the bat at any position, whether at number 4 or to play as a backup opener. But for now, he has grabbed his position as an opener and looks to permanently seal it. Moreover, he has that extra experience and cordial relation of previously opening the innings for Team India with Rohit Sharma. For now, KL Rahul has become the main batter for Indian Cricket.
4. Devdutt Padikkal
The young lefty ambitious opener is yet to prove his metal in international cricket but he certainly has done it in IPL for his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was also one of the top scorers for his team in the recently concluded IPL 2021. He can be like like replacement for Shikhar Dhawan in white ball cricket.
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5. Shubhman Gill
The KKR batter has already garnered lots of appreciation for his batting technique, and although he is still looking for his maiden ton. Still, with his consistency he can be an ideal choice to replace Shikhar Dhawan.
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Every cricket enthusiast got familiar with Gill’s capability after India toured Australia this year and how brilliantly he performed even under pressure in that crucial Gabba test where he scored 91.Here’s a quick snap of his 91 against Australia.