Opener Dhawan determined to put on good show at WC after 2013 & 2017 Champions Trophy success in England
India's Shikhar Dhawan during his knock of 125 in the ICC Champions Trophy match against Sri Lanka at The Oval, London in 2017. Pic/Getty Images
His technique in seaming conditions has often come under intense scrutiny but Shikhar Dhawan doesn't have time for doubting Thomases as he gears up for the battle ahead in the ICC World Cup.
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Dhawan, one half of world's most formidable limited overs opening pair, has always performed well in marquee events and is confident that he would be able to replicate his stellar show in familiar conditions like in Champions Trophy in 2013 and 2017.
He was also India's most successful batsman in the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. "People tell me about my record in ICC events but frankly speaking, the intent has always been the same. It's not that the effort is less than 100 per cent ever. The focus as always is on the process. I am confident that I will have another good ICC tournament," Dhawan said.
Dhawan had a modest international season before roaring back to form in the IPL, scoring 521 runs for Delhi Capitals to finish fourth in the top run-getters' list. So was there any kind of pressure as the World Cup was round the corner, "No" was Dhawan's emphatic reply. "I am not that sort of a guy who feels the pressure. I have the ability to remain unfazed. And critics? Woh apna kaam kar rahein hain [They are doing their job]," said Dhawan.
Asked if the dissection of his technique outside the off-stump and the kind of analysis done bothers him, the senior opener replied, "To know what is being written about me, I need to read the newspapers or watch television. I don't do both, so what's being discussed hardly bothers me. I am not someone who is constantly checking Twitter updates or Instagram comments. Let me tell you something — I don't have time for negativity in my life. It can bog you down if you constantly want validation from the outside world. I don't need that," he said.
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