Shikhar Dhawan: The way forward for Sunrisers

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Since his debut in Test cricket, Shikhar Dhawan has done everything necessary, without a single step in the wrong direction, to be selected as skipper for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the upcoming Champions League Twenty20.
He has shown tremendous consistency with the bat in the shortest format of the game recently, notching up a brilliant and record-breaking 248 against South Africa A in Pretoria. He was the highest scorer in the Champions Trophy that India won after defeating England in the final.
But more than the runs he puts on the scoreboard, what Dhawan would bring to the team is a captain who is confident, aggressive and a go-getter.
Sunrisers, in IPL 2013, has struggled due to lack of a permanent leader and the captain’s responsibilities were shared between Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara and Australian Cameron White.
Both these players struggled with runs in the last edition of IPL and couldn’t inspire the team with their performances alone. However, Sunrisers, as a team, did well to reach the play-offs.
With a stable batsman in Dhawan at the top, Sunrisers can depend on the southpaw to give the team a brilliant start. In return, Dhawan’s performances can motivate other lesser-known batsmen to rise above their potential and give more than just lend a hand in claiming a win or two for the team.
Banking on Dhawan as captain has its own merits. Earlier, a foreign player as captain used to upset the team’s combination, especially if the skipper is going through horrific times personally. Sangakkara has benched himself as captain due to poor performance with the bat or to get the right combination for the greater cause of the team.
But it doesn’t help to have a different captain lead the team every time it sets out to play a match. But with Dhawan as captain, this is taken care of and the Sunrisers can opt for another useful foreign batsman or bowler in its playing XI.
Dhawan as captain will also benefit the team in the long run because the stylish batsman looks set for a big innings in international and club cricket.
In addition, the added responsibility of captaincy could make Dhawan a more consistent and better batsman which can not only help Sunrisers, but also Team India scale greater heights of success.
So, are we ready to see Dhawan rise to the ‘shikhar’ as captain?