3 times India missed Shikhar Dhawan's presence in a big ICC game

Shikhar Dhawan, considered to be one of India’s greatest opening batters, burst onto the cricket scene with a dazzling performance at the 2004 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. The southpaw amassed 505 runs and earned the Player of the Match trophy.

Dhawan made his India ODI debut against Australia in October 2010, but it was his remarkable Test debut in 2013 that solidified his position in the national team.

Shikhar Dhawan has maintained a decade-long consistency as a performer, excelling in both international cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has incredible numbers in ICC tournaments and was one of the main reasons why India won the 2013 Champions Trophy.

On that note, we take a look at three times India missed Shikhar Dhawan's presence in a big ICC game.

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#3 India vs New Zealand – 2019 Cricket World Cup semi-final

India would have benefitted from Shikhar Dhawan's presence

During the 2019 semi-final on, India, having finished at the top of the group, faced New Zealand, who secured the fourth position. The Blackcaps, led by Ross Taylor (74) and Kane Williamson (67), set a target of 239/8. Despite cloudy skies, early breakthroughs by Matt Henry (3/37) and Trent Boult (2/42) put India in a challenging position at 24/4.

India would have loved a left-hander at the top of the innings to disrupt the movement for the New Zealand bowlers. Incidentally, Shikhar Dhawan missed the game after being ruled out of the World Cup.

The Men in Blue eventually was bundled out for 221 runs and the lost the game by 18 runs.

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#2 India vs Pakistan – 2021 T20 World Cup

Shaheen Afridi troubled the India batting order.

In this high-octane clash, India was asked to bat first by Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. Shaheen Shah Afridi was on song as his late movement into the right-hander accounted for both Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul's wicket.

Despite some resistance by Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, India could only set a challenging total of 151 for 7 in 20 overs. Pakistan successfully chased down the target of 152 in the highly anticipated clash against India, with openers Babar Azam and Rizwan forming a decisive century-plus partnership.

In hindsight, Shikhar Dhawan would have been a great foil to Rohit Sharma at the top of the order, He was in good form in the IPL and with his approach, could have forced Pakistan to change their bowling plans.

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#1 India vs Australia – 2023 Cricket World Cup, Final

Did India miss a left-hander at the top of the order?

India was flying high before they were taken down by Australia in the final of the 2023 World Cup. For some, this was due to India being too reliant on Rohit Sharma to give the side a solid and fast start. On a sluggish pitch, Shubman Gill could not hold his nerve and perished trying to force the issue.

India was forced to send Ravindra Jadeja ahead of Suryakumar Yadav since they did not have a potent left-hander in the batting line-up. This is where Shikhar Dhawan with his experience could have been really handy.