Flashback: Shikhar Dhawan winning Golden Bat in 2013

Indian team was struggling with the proper opening combination back in 2012-2013, especially in the wake of the dip in form for India’s quintessential openers by the name of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. Indian selectors had to make a bold move in order to put an end to their misery on top of the order.

Then came the 4th test against the Australian’s at home in Mohali. The lineup had no Gambhir or Sehwag but a man named Shikhar Dhawan who took guard for the very first time in International Cricket. He stepped out alongside Murali Vijay who was yet to cement his place in the side permanently.

Shikhar Dhawan silenced the skeptical voices behind his selection with his explosive innings of 187 off just 174 deliveries, scoring a whopping 33 boundaries and a couple of maximums. Together with Murali Vijay, he stitched a mammoth partnership of 289 runs and the selectors took a sigh of relief regarding the opening headaches.

This fearless cricketer reminded one and all about Sehwag during his days and selectors backed the Southpaw in the One Day circuit. India’s next major assignment was the ICC Champions Trophy, which was the only trophy absent in MS Dhoni’s closet.

India experimented with the opening combination Dhawan and Vijay in Tests which paid rich dividends. Now it was India’s turn to experiment with the opening combination in the limited-over format with Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma.

As it turned out, it was Shikhar Dhawan’s tournament as he amassed as many as 363 runs from five matches at an average of 90.75. He hit two centuries and one half-century with the best of 114 against South Africa. Let us look at the Golden Bat winner’s journey in the campaign as he single-handedly took the Indian side to the finals of the tournament.

114 (94) vs South Africa

India faced South Africa in the lung screamer at Cardiff. He took the celebrated Protean bowling line up of the to the cleaners by stitching vital partnerships with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Tsotsobe, Kleinveldt, Peterson, and McClaren were at the receiving end of an onslaught from Dhawan. His innings announced his presence in the One Day arena and also India’s presence in the tournament.

India posted a mammoth total of 331 in front of the Proteas, thanks to Dhawan and a late flourish from Ravindra Jadeja. His innings was instrumental in India’s 26 runs win against the South Africans. It contained 12 sizzling boundaries and one maximum and scored at a strike rate of 122.

102 (107) vs West Indies

India faced West Indies next in the group stage and yet again it was a Shikhar Dhawan show in the second innings as he helped his team chase down a paltry total set by West Indies. He hit 10 boundaries and a six in his innings and was ably supported by Rohit Sharma yet again along with Dinesh Karthik lower down the order. India won by a massive margin of eight wickets to carry their winning momentum forward into the tournament.

48 (41) vs Pakistan

India versus Pakistan has always been a heavy duty match-up at any stage. They met yet again at the ICC Champions Trophy with Pakistan having their noses ahead of the Indians. Shikhar Dhawan carried on with his purple patch by dismantling all hopes of Pakistani bowlers making a comeback into the match with his swashbuckling innings of 48 off just 41 at a strike rate of 117.

Chasing a dismal total of 102 in the rain-curtailed match, India came out victorious with a seven-wicket win over their arch rivals to go deep into the tournament. Indians were just a couple of steps away from the title.

68 (92) vs Sri Lanka 

India faced Sri Lanka in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy and it was Dhawan yet again who stood out in the match due to his steady innings of 68 in overcast, swinging and seaming conditions. Together with Virat Kohli, India chased down yet another low total to walk into the finals.

Shikhar Dhawan missed out on the finals, but it was Kohli and Jadeja who took over and posted a competitive total against the home side in a 20-over match affair. India won the tournament in the end and Shikhar Dhawan was awarded the Golden Bat.

“I’d dreamt of this, I’m really happy with it. The bouncy tracks suit my game. I worked hard in practice and in the warm-up games. It makes it more special because I was out of the side for a few years,” expressed the left-hander after winning the title. he later dedicated the award to the victims of Uttarakhand floods