IND vs SA 2022: "This was a rare off series for Shikhar Dhawan" - Aakash Chopra

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra reflected on Shikhar Dhawan's poor set of performances in the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa. The stand-in captain only scored 25 runs at a strike rate of 49 as he led the Men in Blue to a 2-1 series win.

The southpaw was bowled by Wayne Parnell in the first two matches of the series after being cramped for room. Dhawan scored only eight runs in the series decider at his home venue in Delhi before being run out.

Coming into the home series against the Proteas, Dhawan scored three fifties across his last six innings.

Accusing Dhawan of being a little lazy during the run out, Chopra said on his YouTube channel:

"This was a rare off series for Shikhar Dhawan. There is rarely a series where he has not left his mark, but he did not make runs this time around. He seemed a little lazy during that run-out. I was actually expecting Dhawan to score runs in Delhi."

Playing solely in the 50-over format in national colors at this point in his career, Dhawan has been India's mainstay since the 2019 World Cup. Apart from his batting credentials, he has been a valuable asset in leading the second-string squad on a regular basis.

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"He is just class personified" - Aakash Chopra on Shubman Gill

One of the main takeaways for India in 2022 has arguably been Shubman Gill's emergence. The former U-19 World Cup player earned a surprise call-up to the ODI squad for the Caribbean tour and has not put a foot wrong since then.

A strong Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign with the Gujarat Titans (GT) certainly helped the young batter's cause. After making a return to the ODI setup after almost a two-year long absence, Gill has scored three fifties and a hundred in nine appearances.

Lavishing praise on Gill following India's ODI series win over South Africa, Chopra said:

"Shubman Gill plays on a whole other level when he plays well. He is just class personified. He does not care whether the ball is seaming or spinning, the ball just leaves the bat so well."

Chopra added:

"This level of precise timing is rarely seen among batters. Gill's only issue seems to be the ball coming into him."

Gill scored a well-compiled 49 in India's seven-wicket win over the Proteas on Tuesday, October 11. He missed out on his half-century after being trapped in front by Lungi Ngidi towards the end of the contest.

Will Shikhar Dhawan feature in the 2023 ODI World Cup? Let us know what you think.

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