Team India opener Shikhar Dhawan is known for his swag, and a completely different approach to take on the game. The left-handed batsman, who holds a tremendous record in ICC tournaments, joined his teammate Shreyas Iyer for a candid chat on Instagram on Tuesday.
During the chat, Dhawan faced a rapid-fire round and gave some interesting answers to the questions asked by his Delhi Capitals captain. When asked to choose his favourite innings, the southpaw picked the match-winning hundred against Australia in the 2019 World Cup as one of his most special knocks.
“Mardo wali feeling aayi,” Dhawan told Iyer while recalling the innings.
During the 2019 WC, Dhawan had smashed 117 off 109 balls against the defending champions at The Oval and guided India to a memorable 36-run victory over the Aussies. Unfortunately, that turned out to be Dhawan’s final game in the tournament as he was ruled out with a thumb fracture for the remaining matches.
The swashbuckling batsman then also went on to reveal the toughest bowler he faced in competitive cricket. Dhawan picked South African pace ace Dale Steyn as the toughest bowler he has ever faced along with off-spinners on turning pitches.
Steyn has dismissed Shikhar Dhawan twice across ODIs and Tests in his first tour to South Africa. So, probably, Dhawan may not have his head to head record in mind when he mentioned Steyn’s name, but the class and stature of the bowler. He had good reason too, Steyn’s name sits on top of the highest wicket-taker list for South Africa in both Tests (439) and T20Is (64). His ability to move the ball off the air and the seam has troubled countless batsmen over his 14-year-long international career.
Steyn has played with Dhawan in the IPL as well, so, picking his former Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) teammate might have been Dhawan’s first instinctive thought.
Since the country is in lockdown, many cricketers are heading towards social media platforms to engage with fans. Recently, Indian captain Virat Kohli participated in an Instagram live session organised by former England player Kevin Pietersen.
One can expect many more such chats and Q/A sessions in the upcoming days as the lockdown has now been extended in India till May 3.
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