"Shikhar Dhawan needs to follow the 'VVS Laxman model' to make a comeback in T20I cricket" - Former chief selector MSK Prasad

Former India chief selector MSK Prasad urged Shikhar Dhawan to follow the 'VVS Laxman model' to make a comeback into T20I cricket after being snubbed by India for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Prasad added that whenever former Indian batsman VVS Laxman got dropped from the Indian team, he used to score heavily in domestic cricket to make it impossible for the selectors to ignore him for future series.

The former chief selector opined that Shikhar Dhawan should do the same in the upcoming matches. Speaking to the Telegraph about Dhawan's T20I career and the batsman's possible comeback trail, Prasad said:

"To make a quick comeback in the Indian team, what the left-handed opener needs to do is follow the 'VVS Laxman model.' VVS always answered you with tonnes of runs if he was dropped. That’s the way Shikhar too should approach his coming assignments."

"The age that he’s in, he doesn’t require to go through the grind. He just needs to show his good form in whatever format he plays and when the opportunity arises, he comes back. And there’s no need to make any changes in his technique too."

Although Shikhar Dhawan is currently out of favor in Test and T20I cricket, he is still a vital part of the ODI team. If he remains fit and maintains his form, Dhawan will most likely open the batting for India in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

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"There’s nothing called resting when it comes to a major event like the World Cup" - MSK Prasad on Shikhar Dhawan's exclusion

While explaining the reason for Dhawan's exclusion from the T20 World Cup squad, chairman of India's selection committee Chetan Sharma stated that the southpaw was being 'rested' for the tournament. MSK Prasad reacted to this and opined that there might have been some error in communication as no one gets rested for such a major event.

"There may have been an error in terms of terminology as he (Sharma) tried to explain the role of Ishan Kishan. But there’s nothing called resting when it comes to a major event like the World Cup, where Shikhar’s experience could’ve mattered."

Shikhar Dhawan is currently the orange cap holder in IPL 2021, having scored 380 runs in eight matches. He will look to continue in the same vein of form in the second half of the tournament in the UAE and end the season as the highest run-scorer to send a strong message to the national team selectors.