IND vs SL 2021: Final opportunity for Shikhar Dhawan to prove his worth in T2OI's

Shikhar Dhawan's India career has received a jump start in the form of the captaincy. With a new coach and a young unit at his disposal, the Delhi batsman now has another opportunity to make a comeback to the national side after falling out of favor in Tests and T20Is. The star opener is set to lead the team against Sri Lanka in the limited-overs series starting July 18.

The tour of Sri Lanka is important for Shikhar Dhawan for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he is going to be leading a young team. He has previously captained Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2014. That particular stint was not a good one as he struggled with the captaincy as well as the bat. His form dipped and the team failed to get the results they wanted. As a result, he stepped down and Darren Sammy took over.

High intensity and fully focused! Great first day of training in Sri Lanka 💪 pic.twitter.com/CFRewfCnoE

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 2, 2021

Shikhar Dhawan will be under pressure to produce results this time around as a loss against a weak Sri Lankan team will not go down well with the fans. Barring his leadership, his batting will also be under the scanner.

His place in the ODI side has always been secure, however, we cannot say the same about T20 cricket. He has fallen behind in the pecking order and the Sri Lanka series could be his final opportunity to prove his worth.

Rohit Sharma is currently India's first-choice opener in T20 cricket. KL Rahul was the second opener, but a dip in the Punjab Kings skipper's form, with Virat Kohli expressing his desire to open, has made matters very interesting. Dhawan has been in and around the T20 squad but has failed to stamp his authority. His numbers over the last 2-3 years haven't been great and his spot for the T20 World Cup seems doubtful.

However, Shikhar Dhawan has been profillic in the IPL. He has arguably been the most consistent Indian batsman in the last three to four seasons. His numbers are mind boggling. He has scored over 470 runs in each of the last five seasons before IPL 2021. In the 2021 season, he has scored 380 runs at an average of 54.28 and a strike rate of 134.27.

Shikhar Dhawan has been at his best in the IPL

Can Shikhar Dhawan overcome heavy competition to become India's first choice opener

While Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli seem like the forerunners for the opening spot, there are many youngsters looking to claim the position as well. One of Shikhar Dhawan's greatest advantages was the fact that he was a left-handed batsman. Ishan Kishan has now emerged as a competition in that sense.

The youngster performed brilliantly in the 2020 edition of the IPL. He scored 516 runs at an average of 57.33 and a strike rate of 145.76. He got an opportunity to open in a few matches when Rohit Sharma was injured. Kishan made maximum use of this chance and made his presence felt. In fact, even after Rohit returned people questioned if Kishan should continue opening.

Kishan's good showing in the IPL earned him a spot in India's T20I squad against England. He once again did well as he scored a brilliant fifty on his T20I debut. Though not one of the top contenders, Ishan Kishan has definitely made a case for himself. However, Shikhar Dhawan is a more experienced campaigner which will probably give him an edge over the Mumbai Indians star in a big tournament like the T20 World Cup.

A major problem for Shikhar Dhawan has been the fact that he plays too many dot balls initially. He overcame this issue in the IPL but still seems to be struggling in international cricket. Once he gets set he is among the most dangerous batsmen in world cricket. However, Dhawan has failed to play the big knocks for India in T20 cricket.

Name a more fun #TeamIndia duo 😁We'll wait 😎#YehHaiNayiDilli @SDhawan25 @yuzi_chahal pic.twitter.com/hzqlfORL2I

— Delhi Capitals (Stay Home. Wear Double Masks😷) (@DelhiCapitals) July 11, 2021

The Sri Lanka series would be a great opportunity for Shikhar Dhawan to remind the world about the talent he has. A great showing in this series could help him earn a spot in India's team for the ICC T20 World p. With KL Rahul struggling, Dhawan could fancy his chances of making a comeback in the team.

The tour begins with three ODI's and is followed by three T20's. The team is currently in Colombo preparing for the series. Even with a young squad, India start as firm favourites. If Sri Lanka can put up a tough fight, this could be a great series for the viewers.