NZ vs IND 2022: He is a definitely starter for the World Cup – Dinesh Karthik on Shikhar Dhawan

India’s veteran wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik has tipped Shikhar Dhawan as a definite starter in the next 50-overs World Cup. Dhawan now plays only one format of the game and he is currently leading India against New Zealand in the ODI series.

The left-hander scored a fine knock of 72 runs in the first ODI against the Kiwis at Eden Park, Auckland but his efforts went in vain as India lost the game by seven wickets. But the southpaw was dismissed cheaply in the second game for only three runs before rain played killjoy.

The 36-year-old from Delhi has amassed 6747 runs in 163 ODI matches at an average of 44.98 and a strike rate of 91.72.

Meanwhile, the left-hander has performed brilliantly in the ICC major events and he is going to be a crucial cog in India’s campaign in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

When asked if Dhawan is in the plans of the team for the ODI World Cup, Karthik said on Cricbuzz, “I think so. From the kind of vibe I get, he is definitely a starter for the World Cup. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be having him around. He is on the other side of his 30s and they could have easily moved on from him. Just the fact that they have him shows that they are very keen about having him in the ODI team.”

In ICC tournaments, Dhawan has an impressive record as he has amassed 2605 runs in 58 matches at an average of 49.15.

“He has been a gun player in ICC tournaments, somebody who rises to the occasion and he plays at a fair clip consistently. Even in the 2019 World Cup, he really did well before getting injured. So, he is somebody you can bank on unless something drastically changes in terms of his form completely falling off,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Dhawan will lead in Punjab Kings in IPL 2023 and he would want to get the best out of the players. Dhawan replaced Mayank Agarwal as a skipper for the Mohali-based franchise.

“He is somebody you can trust as an opener as he knows his game plan. He uses the crease really well, he has got everything to play for, and most importantly, it would be another chance for him to lead a team before the IPL and that is something he will be looking forward to,” Karthik concluded.