3 ways Shikhar Dhawan's presence would have boosted India's 2023 World Cup squad

Shikhar Dhawan continues to be ignored by the Indian selectors as the experienced left-handed batter missed out on a place in the Indian squad for the 2023 World Cup. Dhawan was a part of every Indian squad that participated in the ICC ODI events from 2013 to 2019.

He was not only a member of those squads, but Dhawan was also one of the most consistent performers. The southpaw starred in India's ICC Champions Trophy 2013 win and helped the Men in Blue make it to the semifinals of the 2015 World Cup. In 2017, Dhawan helped India qualify for the Champions Trophy final, whereas in 2018, he was a part of the team that won the Asia Cup.

Dhawan got injured after scoring a hundred against Australia in the group stage of the 2019 World Cup. The Indian team lost in the semifinals of that competition. Four years later, India will aim to become the world champions in the ODI format, but Shikhar Dhawan is not in the team. Here are three reasons why his presence would have boosted India's chances.

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#1 Shikhar Dhawan lifts his game in ICC tournaments

Dhawan was dropped from the Indian ODI squad owing to his declining performances in bilateral series. However, fans should note that he has a great record in ICC tournaments.

As mentioned earlier, Dhawan starred in India's ICC Champions Trophy 2013 win. He was the highest run-getter in the tournament with 363 runs in just five innings at an average of 90.75 and a strike rate of more than 100.

In the 2015 World Cup, Dhawan scored 412 runs in eight matches at an average of 51.50, followed by an aggregate of 338 runs in five matches of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. In 2019, he played only two World Cup matches, where he recorded one century.

A player like Dhawan, who knows how to bring his 'A' game to the table when it matters the most, could have been a game-changer for India in the 2023 World Cup.

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#2 Shikhar Dhawan played only 9 innings on home soil since 2020

The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 will be held in India. Dhawan played only nine ODI innings in home conditions since the start of 2020. He scored a half-century in four of those nine knocks - two each against full-strength teams of Australia and England.

Dhawan played the majority of his ODI innings in 2022 outside India, and there was a decline in his numbers. Since the World Cup will take place in India, Dhawan's presence would have been beneficial for the side.

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#3 A left hand-right hand combination would have helped India a lot

In the recent Asia Cup fixture against Pakistan, India's top four right-handed batters were back in the hut before the score even touched 100. Left-handed Ishan Kishan and right-handed Hardik Pandya then saved the team from an embarrassing collapse. They scored a half-century each, helping India post 266 runs on the board.

A left hand-right hand combination generally impacts the plans of the bowlers, allowing both batters to score runs. Since the combination of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma has been so successful in the past, the selectors should have considered picking Shikhar Dhawan.