3 Indian players who should be given a long rope ahead of the T20 World Cup

#1 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan

The last 12 months have been quite eventful for Shikhar Dhawan. The southpaw went into the World Cup not in the best of form, but put all doubts to rest with a scintillating hundred against an Australian attack comprising of Mitch Starc and Pat Cummins.

Just when it seemed that the Delhi batsman was back to his best, he got hit by a spate of injuries. Dhawan missed the remainder of the World Cup and has not been a consistent member of the Indian team for the better part of the year.

With KL Rahul finding his range as an opener, the 34-year-old Dhawan’s place in India’s limited overs setup seems in danger. The left-hander did come back to the team in style with a stroke-filled 50 against the Sri Lankans. However, Rahul has done exceptionally well in T20 cricket, and Dhawan might be the one to miss if the selectors give greater weight to recent form.

That said, the team management should give Dhawan some opportunities to open the batting before the World Cup. Dhawan is still hungry for runs, as he showed against the island nation, and will be looking for a chance to defend the slot that has been his for so long.