I would like to credit David Warner: Shikhar Dhawan

The Sunrisers Hyderabad faced the Gujarat Lions on a vicious pitch at Hyderabad last night. A low scoring game was on the cards and no batsmen other than Shikhar Dhawan looked set at the wicket. Talking to the iplt20.com, the SRH opener said he feels great about the fact that he is getting better each day. He spoke about how the team management showed faith in him, what it feels like batting with David Warner and the return of Yuvraj Singh.

Speaking about his own form, Shikhar admitted that it is his hard work that has paid off. He didn’t have a very fiery start to begin with and was going through a lean patch coming in to the tournament. Dhawan acknowledged the backing that he received from his team mates and the team management.

“I am feeling good. I am getting better with each passing day. It feels good that your hardwork pays off. It is always rewarding to get the desired results especially when you have worked so hard behind the scenes to achieve it. Also, I have received a lot of support from the team management and they have worked hard with me. They have always backed me and they know that I can win matches for the side. It gives me immense happiness to see that kind of backing. We got a break for four to five days but I did go for a couple of net sessions because I wanted to make the most of the break at hand. Today, it feels a lot better that I could stand my ground at one end when wickets were falling at the other end. It was my goal to take the team through and I am happy to have achieved it,” quoted the elegant left hander.

He also credited his success to his opening partner David Warner. He was quick to admit that Warner often took the pressure of him which made things easier for him and gave him ample time to settle in. “I would like to credit David Warner. He is in such great form that I have been able to take my time in the middle to get set and get those scores for the team. That level of confidence brushes off on me and it creates a sense of ease for me. There is no case of playing rash shots or the need to push hard because the guy at the other end is playing his role to perfection,” quoted Shikhar Dhawan.

He added that his role has been predominantly that of a supporting role. However, he maintained that his role changes from game to game. “There have been times when the team has demanded a supporting role off me and I am glad that I have been able to do that. My role differs from game to game according to the situation and the way my partnership with Warner is going on. It is going good at the moment,” he added.

Commenting on the return of Yuvraj Singh to the side, the Indian opener was all-praise for the veteran all-rounder. He said having Yuvraj Singh around is always a calming influence. He stressed that it is natural for any batsman to take his time before settling in and said Yuvraj will definitely hit the patch in the coming matches.

“The youngsters get a boost just listening to him. Me and him share a bit of technical stuff about our batting and it is nice to get his inputs. Even today he said that I played well. He said that I had played according to the situation and played sensibly,” he said.

“We have to understand that he is coming back after a break and it does get difficult to score right away. It is normal for any batsman to take time to get back into that groove. We all are confident that he will do well in the forthcoming matches,” he conceded.

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