Shikhar Dhawan, the veteran opener, is currently out of contention in the national team, with Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, and Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of him in the race.
As a result, Dhawan will be seen in a new role. In the forthcoming Asia Cup 2023, which is set to begin on August 30 in Pakistan, he will be a member of Star Sport’s expert panel.
Dhawan gave a special message for the Rohit Sharma-led team while filming a trailer for the Asia Cup and the next ODI World Cup at home, urging them not to lose against Pakistan in any of the events.
The 37-year-old also claimed that the World Cup is crucial, but he believes India will win it.
“It has always been the case of ‘Whether or not you win the World Cup, don’t lose to Pakistan’ (laughs). But winning the World Cup is also important and by god’s grace hopefully we will,”
Dhawan said in the video.
However, Star Sports then removed the segment in which Dhawan urged the national team players not to lose against Pakistan.
A correction has not yet been made public, however, it is commonly assumed that the group posted the incorrect film, which appeared to be a World Cup commercial rather than an Asia Cup promo.
Dhawan mentioned that there is always a lot of pressure to perform against Asian opponents when speaking about his experience playing against Pakistan.
He went on to remark that the intensity is frequently too great, but luckily for him, India was on the winning side the majority of the time Dhawan was in the team.
“There’s definitely excitement but also a lot of pressure. There’s definitely a satisfying feeling playing against them when the match ends. Whenever I have played Pakistan, we have won mostly. The intensity on the field is also high, but there’s also some light chat with them,”
Dhawan was quoted as saying by KhelNow.
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