“Have been hearing it for 10 years. They keep saying, I keep playing” - Shikhar Dhawan on often being criticized after couple of failures

Team India opener Shikhar Dhawan has stated that he is not bothered by the criticism that he faces almost every time he fails in a couple of matches. The experienced left-hander pointed out that he wouldn’t have been where he is today if he had taken the brickbats to heart.

The 36-year-old will lead the Indian team during the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, which begins on Friday (July 22).

Dhawan had a poor one-day series in England earlier this month, registering scores of 31*,9 and 1. However, he has been a stellar performer in the ODI format, scoring over 6000 runs and averaging over 45 after 152 matches.

At a press conference ahead of the first ODI against the Windies, the opener was asked if he ever gets affected by “unfair” criticism. A calm Dhawan responded:

“I don’t feel strange. Have been hearing it for 10 years now. They keep saying, I keep playing. It doesn’t matter to me. If it did, I wouldn’t have been here today. Everyone has their own opinions, but I know my job and what I need to do. I have been doing this for so many years. I don’t take a lot of tension after a couple of failures. I self-analyze and look to improve. That’s what matters to me.”

Before the England one-dayers, the southpaw impressed during the ODI series in South Africa, which was played at the start of the year. He scored 169 runs in three games, including two half-centuries.

---

“I feel I can share my experience with them” - Shikhar Dhawan on captaining youngsters

Regular captain Rohit Sharma and seniors like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya have been rested for the ODIs against West Indies. As a result, Dhawan will be leading a relatively young team in the Caribbean.

Asked for his thoughts on the same, the 36-year-old replied:

“I am very excited. When I get a chance to work with youngsters, I feel I can share my experience with them, especially the mental aspect as to how one can grow. I always love to share it and bring an impact in their game.”

Admitting that there is always pressure in international cricket, Dhawan asserted that he won’t change his personality or playing style. He commented:

“Pressure is always there in international cricket. But the pressure will not change my personality or my style of play. I have a lot of self-belief in myself and in my team as well. We will go in with the will to win at any cost.”

All three matches of the India-West Indies ODI series will be played at the Port of Spain in Trinidad. After the opening game on Friday, the remaining two games will be held on July 24 and July 27.