My focus is definitely on next year’s 50 overs World Cup: Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan, India’s opening batter in the 50-over format, expressed his desire to play the ODI World Cup for India in 2023 and revealed that his major focus is on playing as many games that come his way in order to remain fit and prepare himself accordingly. The mega event is scheduled to be hosted by India next year.

Dhawan was recently seen in the ODI leg of the West Indies tour, where he also captained the side and led the Men in Blue to a resounding 3-0 triumph against the home team. India’s next assignment is against Zimbabwe, where Dhawan will be seen in the top-order lineup for the team. Dhawan revealed that the global tournaments give him a sense of satisfaction when he participates in them.

I prepare and approach every tournament exactly the same way: Shikhar Dhawan

“I love playing in ICC tournaments. There is always a different feeling and satisfaction and I’ve had some very good tournaments in the past. I prepare and approach every tournament exactly the same way,” Dhawan told The Times of India.

“Every time I wear the Indian jersey, pressure is always there and the thing is, as an experienced player, I know how to handle pressure. The buzz definitely helps, because it adds motivation to my game. I don’t get over-awed by the moment, because my focus, process, and preparation is the same for any tournament I am playing in,” he added.

Dhawan was initially chosen as Team India’s captain for the upcoming Zimbabwe series. But when BCCI declared KL Rahul fit to play, the captaincy was taken away from Dhawan. Rahul will now be leading the team and Dhawan will act as his deputy. But the 36-year-old’s main aim is to play as many games as he can and build his path for the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023.

“My focus is definitely on next year’s 50-overs World Cup and for that, I want to play as many matches as possible for India and do well in them. In between, there is the IPL as well, so I will try to continue to perform there and look to play the domestic one-day and T20 matches and keep myself match-fit and ready,” Dhawan said.