"It is going to be difficult" - Aakash Chopra on Shikhar Dhawan getting a place in the T20 World Cup playing XI

Aakash Chopra has said it might be a tall ask for Shikhar Dhawan to make the Indian playing XI at the T20 World Cup later this year.

Shikhar Dhawan was dropped from the Indian team after the first T20I against England. However, the southpaw has shown his credentials with his excellent form for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021.

While answering fan questions in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed out that Shikhar Dhawan might find it tough to gain a place in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup.

The commentator reasoned that there are already a plethora of players who are vying for top-order spots in the Indian T20I team.

"If you see now, Kohli has started opening, Rohit anyway opens, KL Rahul is there as an opener, I feel Prithvi Shaw's name will also have to be added to the list. Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav are also top-order batsmen. So, it is going to be difficult," said Chopra.

However, Aakash Chopra acknowledged that Shikhar Dhawan is forcing the selectors to consider him with his exploits in the now-suspended IPL 2021.

"It is a very interesting question because Shikhar Dhawan constantly forces you to think that if you rule him out, he will bounce back, score runs, be the Orange Cap holder and then you will have to pick him again," observed Chopra.

Shikhar Dhawan occupies top spot in the list of highest run-scorers in IPL 2021. The Delhi Capitals opener has amassed 380 runs in eight knocks at an excellent average of 54.28 and an impressive strike rate of 134.27.

MOST RUNS #IPL2021 Top Ten So For:Shikhar Dhawan - 380KL Rahul - 331Faf du Plessis - 320Prithvi Shaw - 308Sanju Samson - 277Mayank Agarwal - 260Jos Buttler - 254Rohit Sharma - 250Jonny Bairstow - 248Glenn Maxwell - 223.#MIvsCSK #MIvSRH #VIVOIPL

— Muhammad Waseem (@mwaseem_1997) May 4, 2021

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Aakash Chopra on the importance of the Sri Lanka series for Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan might lead India in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka

Aakash Chopra opined that Shikhar Dhawan's performances in the T20I series against Sri Lanka might hold the key to his prospects for a place in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup.

"You will get more clarity in Sri Lanka if they will keep him in the T20 team. If they keep him, it is possible he might be the captain. If he is the captain and scores the runs as well, then you can't ignore him," said Chopra.

The 43-year-old signed off by stating that a senior player like Shikhar Dhawan needs to be treated respectfully and should be given sufficient chances if chosen in the squad.

"There is a need of respect for such a senior player. If you keep him in the team, play the first match and drop him, that's not correct. If you have kept him, you should give him the respect he deserves and if you don't want to keep him, you need to give a clear-cut message that you are moving on," concluded Chopra.

Shikhar Dhawan was dropped after just one failure in the T20I series against England, while KL Rahul, who looked out of sorts, was persisted with for four matches.

With Virat Kohli opening in the final encounter of the series and expressing his wish to continue doing so going forward, Dhawan's chances of making the Indian playing XI have taken a further hit.

Sunil Gavaskar said he would persist with this opening formula of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Look at the way they fed off each other. When two leaders of the team show the way, it becomes easier for the guys coming down the order. (To India Today).

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 21, 2021