'There is no reason he can't' - PBKS coach Trevor Bayliss on Shikhar Dhawan's return to team India squad

Shikhar Dhawan, who once used to be team India's go-to opener alongside Rohit Sharma, has now been on the sidelines for quite some time after failing to leave an impact in whatever little opportunities he got to represent the Men in Blue. However, the Delhi-born cricketer would be seen leading the IPL franchise Punjab Kings in the forthcoming tournament.

Ahead of the mega-tournament, as the Mohali-based franchise has been indulging in pre-tournament acclimatisation exercises, coach Trevor Bayliss has lavished praises on Dhawan whom he soon expects to see in India colours.

Talking to PTI, Bayliss showed clear signs of trust that the franchise bestows on Dhawan and said that Dhawan would need to score runs in the tournament to be able to knock on the doors of the Indian team which, Bayliss believed, Dhawan would be able to pull off in the upcoming tournament.

"There is no reason he can't. Playing at the top level first thing is you need is to be in form and scoring runs. Hopefully from our point of view he scores a truckload of runs in the next few months and force his way back in and that would be great for us and great for India as well," said Bayliss.

Dhawan is a positive influence on the team: Bayliss

Bayliss further went on to cite the positivity that Dhawan brings to the side and also mentioned that he is very well respected by the players in the team and that the swashbuckling batter exerts a 'positive influence' on the side.

"He is very well respected by the young players in the team. He is a very positive influence on the team and will do a fantastic job,” Bayliss added.

Punjab Kings will play their first match of the upcoming tournament against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 1.

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