Indian cricket veteran Shikhar Dhawan recently took to social media to express his emotions following his exclusion from the 15-player roster for the ICC World Cup 2023. In his post, Dhawan extended his congratulations to the selected teammates who will be representing India in the tournament. He also conveyed his unwavering support and best wishes for the squad, encouraging them to strive for victory and bring the coveted trophy home, thus bringing honor to the nation.
“Congratulations to my fellow teammates & friends chosen to represent India in the WC 2023 tournament! With the prayers and support of 1.5 billion people, you carry our hopes and dreams. May you bring the cup back home and make us proud! Go all out, Team India! #ChakDePhatte #WorldCup,” Dhawan wrote on X.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled the initial 15-member squad for the ICC World Cup 2023 on September 5th. Despite his impressive track record in ICC tournaments, Shikhar Dhawan, who hasn’t participated in an ODI since December of the previous year, was omitted by the selectors.
Shikhar Dhawan’s exclusion was attributed to his underwhelming performance in one-day internationals. He last represented the team against Bangladesh in December 2022, where he had been struggling, averaging in the 20s. As a result, Shubman Gill took his place in the team after seizing the opportunity and earning a spot in the starting lineup.
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Remarkably, this marks Shikhar Dhawan’s first absence from an ICC 50-overs event in a decade. Dhawan has amassed 537 runs in eight innings across two ICC One-Day International World Cups (2015 and 2019). His average in ODI World Cups is notably higher, rising from 44.11 to 53.70. During these eight matches, the left-handed batsman has recorded three centuries and one half-century. In ODI World Cups, Dhawan manages to score 50 or more runs in every other inning, a marked improvement compared to his career average of achieving that milestone every three innings.
India’s squad for ODI World Cup 2023:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj