NEW DELHI: Heaping praise on Shikhar Dhawan, who is also leading the Indian team in the ODI series against New Zealand, former India coach Ravi Shastri said the opener "doesn't get the accolades that he deserves".
Dhawan scored a fluent 77-ball 72 while adding 124 runs for the first wicket with Shubman Gill in the ODI series opener at Eden Park in Auckland.
But Shastri feels that despite delivering both as a player and captain, Dhawan's efforts tend to get ignored with attention mostly centered around the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Shastri said on broadcasters Prime Video, "He's vastly experienced. He doesn't get the accolades that he deserves. To be honest, most of the spotlight is on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. But when you look at his one-day cricket record, and you look at some of the innings he has played against top teams in big games, it's an outstanding record."
Shastri added that the 36-year-old opener has got all the shots to succeed against quality fast bowlers.
"A left-hander at the top makes a lot of difference. He is a natural stroke player, he has got all the shots to counter top class fast bowling, the pull, the cut, and the drive. He likes it when the ball is coming onto the bat, and I think his experience will be handy here.
"There are a lot of talented youngsters around, but I think in this format of the game, his experience will be in value," said Shastri who had called Dhawan a gun player earlier in the year.
In his 72-run knock, Dhawan, who has got over 6500 ODI runs, hit 13 fours.
Dhawan will be leading Punjab Kings in the next edition of the IPL.
(With inputs from PTI)
