‘Lekin Bhai bahar to aapne hi kiya tha’ – Fans react as Ravi Shastri backs Shikhar Dhawan, says he is yet to receive his due respect

Star India batter Shikhar Dhawan is currently running out of the game. Dhawan, who has been one of the most important parts of the Indian batting line-up for the last decade, is currently struggling with poor form and performance. With new emerging players, Dhawan has been sidelined from the team as India moves on.

However, former India coach Ravi Shastri believes that Dhawan didn’t receive the respect he earned. According to Shastri Dhawan, people don’t give Dhawan the credit he deserves. As the Asia Cup was on the horizon, Shastri was speaking about team selection with the official broadcasters when he recalled Dhawan. He also spoke about how team management missed Dhawan in the 2019 World Cup semifinals.

“At the top of the order, nowhere else. And the others have to be flexible. Between Rohit, Virat, and Shubhman Gill, that can be 2, 3, or 4. And a very important point is that I was a coach at the time, and I keep saying that people don’t give Shikhar Dhawan the credit that he deserves. I mean, that guy was an amazing player”, says Shastri.

“You mention the World Cup in 2019 where we lost that semifinal when we had a brilliant World Cup; he was the missing man there. You know, that made such a big difference—a left-hander at the top of the order, as opposed to three right-handers with the ball swinging away, which allowed teams to get a grip of where to bowl and bowl consistently,” he further added.

Shikhar Dhawan shockingly missed out on the Asian Games 2023 squad

Last month, Indian senior men’s team selectors picked a young and dynamic squad for the Asian Games 2023. As it was scheduled to collide with the ODI World Cup team, they decided to send a young bunch of players. People were expecting the 37-year-old batter to lead the squad, but in a shocking turn of events, selectors appointed Ruturaj Gaikwad as India’s skipper.

Speaking about the same, Dhawan said, “When my name was not there, I was a bit shocked. But, then, I was like, they have a different thought process; you just have to accept it,” Dhawan told PTI. “I am happy that Rutu [Gaikwad] will lead the side. All the young boys are there, and I am sure they will do well”, he further added. Notably, Dhawan last donned an Indian jersey against Bangladesh last year.

Here is how fans reacted to Ravi Shastri’s comments: