England vs India: Glad that the selectors have shown faith in Shikhar Dhawan, says Sanjay Manjrekar

ENG vs IND, 2nd ODI: Shkhar Dhawan scored an unbeaten 31 in the first match against England on Tuesday at the Kennington Oval in London.

Former batter Sanjay Manjrekar reckoned that ODI cricket is best suited to Shikhar Dhawan and the national selectors have done well by showing faith in the left-handed batter. On Tuesday, July 12, the Men in Blue defeated England by 10 wickets at The Oval and Dhawan stayed not out on 31 in an unbeaten 114-run partnership with Rohit Sharma.

Dhawan has been in and out of the team for the last few months, but Manjrekar said that the southpaw has plenty to offer in the 50-over format.

“Shikhar Dhawan, who’s got only one format now that he can cling on but interestingly, right through his career, from start to end, if you look at his performance in 50 overs cricket, it’s always been the best. This is a format that suits him best and a format where he’s been excellent.

“And I’m so glad that the selectors have shown faith in him and reminded themselves that Shikhar Dhawan is still a force in 50 overs cricket. So brilliant to see them at the top,” Manjrekar was quoted as saying on SPORTS18.

Manjrekar said that Indian skipper Rohit Sharma’s presence will help Dhawan even more. Moreover, the veteran lauded Dhawan for showing a tremendous amount of fitness even into his 30s.

Manjrekar was also of the opinion that Dhawan has upped his game, keeping in mind his performances in domestic T20 leagues, especially the Indian Premier League (IPL).