Follow Us
New Delhi, May 14
His technique in conditions where the ball darts about a bit has often come under intense scrutiny, but Shikhar Dhawan doesn’t have time for doubting Thomases as he gears up for the World Cup.
Dhawan has always performed well in ICC’s marquee events and is confident that he would be able to replicate his stellar show in familiar conditions, as in the Champions Trophy in 2013 and 2017. He was also India’s most successful batsman in the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. “People tell me about my record in the ICC events, but frankly speaking, the intent has always been the same,” Dhawan said. “It’s not that the effort is less than 100 percent ever. The focus as always is on the process. I am confident that I will have another good ICC tournament.”
No pressure
The 33-year-old had a modest international season before roaring back to form in the IPL, scoring 521 runs for Delhi Capitals to finish fourth in the top run-getters’ list. So, was there any pressure on him as the World Cup was round the corner? “No,” was Dhawan’s emphatic reply. “I am not that sort of a guy who feels the pressure. I have the ability to remain unfazed. And critics? Woh apna kaam kar rahein hain (They are doing their job). If I don’t score runs in 5-10 games, it doesn’t mean that everything is lost. I know what kind of a player I am and what my capabilities are,” added Dhawan, who has 16 hundreds and 5,355 runs in 128 ODIs.
Ignore critics
Asked if the dissection of his batting technique against the moving ball bothers him, the senior opener replied: “To know what is being written about me, I need to read the newspapers or watch television. I don’t do both, so what’s being discussed hardly bothers me.” “And as far as social media is concerned, yes, I am on Twitter and Facebook, but I hardly use them. I am not someone who is constantly checking Twitter or Instagram,” he added. “I just check it occasionally. Let me tell you something — I don’t have time for negativity in my life. It can bog you down if you constantly want validation from the outside world. I don’t need that.” he said. — PTI
2