“Very important to have fun while working” - Shikhar Dhawan opens up on viral reel featuring Rahul Dravid

Team India’s captain for the ODIs against West Indies, Shikhar Dhawan, reckons that it is very important to have fun as a unit apart from working hard. Speaking in reference to his viral Instagram reel, which also had usually reticent head coach Rahul Dravid featuring in it, the veteran cricketer asserted that his lively nature helps him to create an amicable bond within the team.

The Dhawan-led Indian team will face the West Indies in a three-match ODI series, which begins on Friday (July 22) at the Port of Spain in Trinidad. A couple of days ago, a fun reel on Dhawan’s Instagram went viral in which the Indian players are seen trying their hand at the “Hey” trend.

Apart from Dhawan, the clip features Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj. What left most fans pleasantly surprised though was head coach Dravid making an appearance at the end.

Opening up on the viral video and Dravid’s unexpected act, Shikhar Dhawan said at a press conference:

"I feel because of my nature and energy I am able to gel well with everyone. It is very important to have fun while working. Work goes on, but that liveliness creates a very good bond, as you saw in my reel, which also had Rahul bhai.”

Emphasizing further on the importance of team bonding, the 36-year-old added:

“The entire team was there (in the reel). These days there are reels, earlier there were team dinners or team activities. It creates bonding. It also feels good to make people happy through such reels over any other means.”

Most of the comments on the “Hey” reel referred to Dravid’s appearance. Many fans appreciated the legendary former cricketer’s initiative to join the players in the fun video.

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Shikhar Dhawan opens up on his equation with Dravid

During the press conference, the opener was also asked about the kind of equation he shares with the head coach. Dhawan asserted that it was a very good one, stating that the tour of Sri Lanka last year helped them build a bond.

He explained:

“I have very good relations with Rahul bhai. We were together in Sri Lanka as well. A good bond was created there. Our understanding is really good.”

Shikhar Dhawan led the Indian white-ball squad in Sri Lanka last year while Dravid was named stand-in coach. Then-head coach Ravi Shastri was busy with the Indian Test team in England.