Shikhar Dhawan needs to follow ‘VVS Laxman model’ to make a comeback in T20I cricket: MSK Prasad

Former Indian chief selector MSK Prasad feels Shikhar Dhawan needs to follow ‘VVS Laxman model’ to make a comeback in the T20I format.

Dhawan was expected to be picked as a backup opener in the T20 World Cup squad but the selectors didn’t include him in India’s 15-man squad.

On the other hand, VVS Laxman used to score a truckload of runs in the domestic circuit whenever he was dropped from the national team. Prasad reckons Dhawan also needs to follow the same approach to make his comeback.

In fact, Dhawan has increased his strike rate in the shortest format of the game and he has done a fine job in the IPL. Dhawan had scored 380 runs in the first phase of IPL 2021 for Delhi Capitals and had amassed 618 runs in IPL 2020 at a blistering strike rate of 144.73 and had finished as the second highest run-getter of the previous season. Furthermore, he had led in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka.

Prasad told Telegraph, “To make a quick comeback in the Indian team, what the left-handed opener needs to do is follow the ‘VVS Laxman model.’ VVS always answered you with tonnes of runs if he was dropped. That’s the way Shikhar too should approach his coming assignments.”

“The age that he’s in, he doesn’t require to go through the grind. He just needs to show his good form in whatever format he plays and when the opportunity arises, he comes back. And there’s no need to make any changes in his technique too.”

Meanwhile, India’s chief selector Chetan Sharma revealed that Dhawan is in their loop for T20 cricket and he has been rested from the marquee event. But Prasad reckons there is nothing like resting when it comes to a major event like the T20 World Cup.

“There may have been an error in terms of terminology as he (Sharma) tried to explain the role of Ishan Kishan. But there’s nothing called resting when it comes to a major event like the World Cup, where Shikhar’s experience would have mattered.”

Dhawan will be seen in action while playing for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming IPL 2021.