India's stand-in ODI skipper Shikhar Dhawan is not bothered about criticism of his batting ahead of ODI series against West Indies. Dhawan did not have a great series in England as he scored just 41 runs from three innings at an average of 13.67. The opener will be leading the side in an ODI series for the second time.
On the eve of the ODI when asked about criticism of his form he responded by saying, "Ajeeb kya lagega, aab toh 10 saal hogaya (I don't feel odd, I have heard it for 10 years). People keep talking, I keep performing. If I listened to them, I wouldn't be here.”
"I have the experience, so I'm not too worried. As long as I self-analyse and improve, nothing else matters," the southpaw added.
While the veteran batter did not perform well in England, he scored two half-centuries in the three-ODI series on South African soil earlier this year.
"I'm a very positive person. For me, positivity is about self-belief and the confidence you take in. I have that since I've been playing for so many years. I'm here because I've done some good things. That is the positivity I want to pass on to the youngsters," the 36-year-old said.
Dhawan has been off selectors' radar in the T20I format. However, he will be an indispensable cog in the wheel in the 50-over format. His form will be crucial in the next year's ODI World Cup which will be hosted in India. Meanwhile, he will face competition from the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson and even KL Rahul if the middle-order is packed.
Dhawan also talked about the Instagram reel that featured head coach Rahul Dravid, who does not have a Twitter or Instagram account. The opener feels that it helps lighten the mood in the squad.
"Earlier, we had team dinners. Now, we do reels," he said at the pre-match press conference.
"We want to create the kind of energy where we put faith in each other to ensure the result takes care of itself. There is pressure in international cricket, sure, but it's not the kind of pressure that will change my personality or style of play. I have a lot of belief in myself and the team," he added.
