India Squad for WC: Fans Dispirited as ‘Mr ICC’ Shikhar Dhawan Is Left Out

India Squad for WC: Shikhar Dhawan has been a consistent performer for India in ICC events over the last decade.

India Squad for World Cup: Fans Dispirited as ‘Mr ICC’ Shikhar Dhawan Is Left Out

(Photo: BCCI)

A section of the Indian cricket team’s fans were left dispirited following the announcement of the 15-member squad for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, owing to the omission of Shikhar Dhawan. The left-handed batter, who played a crucial role in the last few ICC ODI events for the team, missed out on a place, with the selectors preferring youngster Shubman Gill over him.

Dhawan has played 167 ODI matches for India, wherein he has scored 6793 runs at an average of 44.11. More than his career statistics, however, his records in ICC events deserve plaudits.

The opening batter starred in India’s last triumph in an ICC event – the 2013 Champions Trophy – scoring 363 runs, which also happened to be the most by any batter in the competition.

In the 2015 World Cup, Dhawan emerged as India’s leading run-scorer on the tricky tracks of Australia, scoring 412 runs. He had also scored a century in the last edition of the World Cup, back in 2019, but his campaign came to a premature conclusion owing to a fractured thumb.

Considering he will be celebrating his 38th birthday in exactly three months, it is highly likely that Dhawan’s time in the national blue is all but over, leaving his fans heartbroken.

Here’s how the fans reacted on X: