Why Shikhar Dhawan not in T20 squad?

India’s ace ODI opener Shikhar Dhawan is all set to miss out on the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 as he remains a long distance from the shortest format of the game. Despite being a permanent feature in the ODI squad, Dhawan has found not cemented his place in the Indian T20 squad.

Shikhar Dhawan in T20I

The Delhi-born opener has so far represented India in 68 matches at international level and scored 1759 runs. His tally of runs in the shortest format is the fourth-highest for any Indian and only Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul have scored more runs them him.

One of the major reason for Dhawan’s exclusion from the spot is the competition for places. As things stand, his position as an opener remains a big factor with several players competing for the spot. India currently have Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul as first choice openers and remain destined to feature in the T20 World Cup.

The likes of Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad who have been in great form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) then come into the frame. Adding to the dilemma of Dhawan, he cannot play down the order like other players like Rahul and Rohit, who started their careers as middle order batters.

Shikhar Dhawan in IPL

Shikhar’s form in the IPL also make a great reading while he has led several sides in the shortest format. In more than 200 matches for the several IPL franchises he scored 6243 runs and is the second-highest scorer in the history of the tournament.

However, another reason for Dhawan’s exclusion is the rise of several other options as openers. Recently India have tried Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda that has further sent Dhawan down the pecking order.

With Dhawan not on the right side of the ageing scale, the selectors too have opted to go for fresh blood and haven’t put him in the frame for selection. Also his inability to play in any other position, lack of contribution as an all-rounder makes him a miss fit for the T20 side.