'Dhawan doesn’t get the credit he deserves': Shastri

Ravi Shastri and Shikhar Dhawan

With the Asia Cup on the horizon, the Indian team management and selectors are in the midst of intense discussions to determine the best players for the top seven positions in the line-up. As of now, the team's configuration seems to lack a sense of certainty and stability.

Reflecting on the team's past experiences, particularly the 2019 World Cup campaign, Ravi Shastri emphasised the pivotal role the veteran Indian opener played in the team's composition.

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"At the top of the order, nowhere else. And the others have to be flexible. Between Rohit [Sharma], Virat [Kohli], and Shubman Gill, that can be 2, 3, 4. And a very important point is, I was a coach at that time, and I keep saying that people don't give the credit that Shikhar Dhawan deserves. I mean, that guy was an amazing player.

"You mention the World Cup in 2019 where we lost that semi-final 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 said.

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