Sanjay Manjrekar was of the opinion that Shikhar Dhawan has received a well-deserved ‘felicitation’ for serving Indian cricket after he was named captain of a young side who are slated to tour Sri Lanka in July.
The former India batsman compared Dhawan’s case to that of legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who was appointed captain of India almost 17 years after making his international debut.
The cricketer-turned-commentator, during an interaction with ESPNCricinfo, said the veteran batsman’s performances have only got better with age and no player deserved the captaincy more than Shikhar Dhawan.
“Anil Kumble, Indian cricket’s great leg-spinner, got his captaincy very late and I remember my feelings at that time. I felt that a long-serving Indian player has finally gotten his reward. I am experiencing similar happiness seeing that Shikhar Dhawan has finally got this felicitation to lead India.
“No one deserves it more, he has been playing for many years, and his white-ball performances have gotten even better with age, especially in T20 cricket. It’s a brilliant selection and I am very happy for Shikhar Dhawan,” the 55-year-old said.
Dhawan, who had made his international debut in 2010, has established himself as a dependable white-ball opener and a revered team man. This will be his first captaincy assignment with Team India.
Team India’s tour of Sri Lanka will comprise three ODIs and as many T20Is, starting on July 13. All six matches will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.