He’s gem of a person: Shikhar Dhawan praises his ‘favorite opening partner’ Rohit Sharma

India’s out-of-favor opening batter Shikhar Dhawan has opened up on his bonhomie with skipper Rohit Sharma. Dhawan said he shares a special bond with Rohit as they have opened in several matches while playing for the national team.

Dhawan and Rohit made a potent opening duo for India, scoring 5193 runs in 117 ODI matches at an impressive average of 45.15, including 18 century stands. The duo is India’s most successful opening pair after Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, who scored 8227 runs (which is the most in ODIs) in 176 matches at an average of 47.55.

“My favourite opening partner is Rohit. Rohit ke saath to maine yaar 8–10 saal opening kari hai. Rohit ke saath mera bond bhi bahut strong hai. He is a gem of a person. Uske saath bohot opening kari hai,” Dhawan said in a video uploaded by Star Sports.

Meanwhile, Dhawan is currently out of the Indian team as young players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have grabbed their opportunities with both hands. 

Dhawan played only five matches while leading Punjab Kings in IPL 2024 before he got injured. The left-hander scored 152 runs in five matches at an average of 30.40 and a strike rate of 125.61.

On the other hand, Rohit Sharma scored 257 runs in eight matches of the T20 World Cup 2024 at an average of 36.71 and a strike rate of 156.71 and played an instrumental role in taking India to glory.

Rohit Sharma finished his T20I career as the leading run-getter in the format, with 4231 runs in 159 matches. 

The right-hander scored an attacking knock of 58 runs off just 47 balls in the opening ODI against Sri Lanka on Friday. The second ODI between India and Sri Lanka will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Sunday.