Shikhar dhawan: "Love you, Jatta"- Cricket fraternity extends birthday wishes as opener Shikhar Dhawan turns 37

The Indian cricket community extended warm wishes to Indian ODI opener Shikhar Dhawan as he turned 37 on Monday (December 5). The southpaw is currently in Bangladesh, playing a 3-match ODI series against the neighboring nation.

Dhawan has only been in the reckoning for the ODI format for Team India over the past few years as selectors have preferred others in Test and T20I formats. He also led the Indian side on a couple of occasions in ODI series over the past year as other multi-format players were rested due to work-load management.

With the ODI World Cup scheduled to place in India next winter, the birthday boy needs to put on consistent performances in the bilateral series to secure his opening spot, as youngsters like Shubman Gill are eagerly waiting on the sidelines.

On the occasion of his 37th birthday, Dhawan's teammates and other members of the cricket fraternity were quick to wish him well on social media platforms. Harbhajan Singh led the way with a special post on Twitter.

"If Shikhar Dhawan plays enough matches, he will return to his old rhythm" - Wasim Jaffer on Team India's ODI opener

Former Indian opening batter Wasim Jaffer put his weight behind Shikhar Dhawan ahead of the ODI series against Bangladesh. He opined that the seasoned veteran would regain the rhythm after getting some game time consistently.

Dhawan will be back in action on Wednesday (December 7) when Team India face Bangladesh in the second ODI in Dhaka.

About the author

Balakrishna has been a cricket writer at Sportskeeda for almost seven years. A sport that he has been following and playing since he was eight, Balakrishna enjoys the intensity of the sport, skills and strategies applied to get a result out of nowhere, and the thrill that it gives. He also played as a medium pace bowling all-rounder in four inter-college tournaments, winning twice.

Balakrishna’s all-time favorite cricketers are Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma. He admires Sachin’s stellar performances against legendary bowlers, along with his discipline and humility. Meanwhile, he is a big fan of how Rohit turned around his initial struggles to build a successful career.

He avidly supports Team India and 2016 IPL winners SunRisers Hyderabad. The first World Cup that Balakrishna ever saw was the 2003 World Cup, when Australia comprehensively triumphed over India in the final.

While working, he ensures he only uses reliable sources and provides relevant, ethical, and accurate information. When not working, Balakrishna enjoys playing table tennis and reading non-fiction books.

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