Shikhar Dhawan started off as a classic, attacking opener. However, having opened regularly for India in one-day cricket for the past six years, he has evolved. He is now looking to bat deep, and has forged a bond with his partner at the other end—Rohit Sharma.
What stands out is that Dhawan has always delivered in tournaments that matter, be it the Champions Trophy 2013 (player of the tournament and Golden Bat, for the leading run-scorer) and 2017 (Golden Bat, again), or the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in Australia-New Zealand where India reached the semi-finals (India’s top scorer with 412 runs at an average of 51.50).
Dhawan and Sharma may have different batting styles, but what is common is their relaxed attitude to life and work. That sync is visible in their batting as well. They are India’s best ODI opening pair after Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar in the all-time list of highest overall partnership runs in ODIs by openers.
In a freewheeling interview with THE WEEK, Dhawan says India has a good chance to lift the World Cup and brushes aside fears that the Champions Trophy 2017 final is weighing on the team’s mind. Edited excerpts:
Q/ In this World Cup, you are a seasoned campaigner, a senior with more responsibilities.
A/It has been a beautiful journey. I learnt so much from different players and coaches. It is like fulfilment of a dream—to play for India for so many years. It is one thing to play or make a comeback; it is another thing to play, make a mark for yourself and maintain that performance.
Q/It is tough to perform consistently.
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Denne historien er fra June 16, 2019-utgaven av THE WEEK.
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William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
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RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI
