VVS Laxman backs Shikhar Dhawan to open with Rohit in Champions Trophy

Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor VVS Laxman is mighty pleased with the way the SRH players have got into good form in the ongoing edition of the IPL. Most of the SRH batsmen have managed to be among the runs in the tournament thus far. Coming in to the tournament, a lot of eyes were on Shikhar Dhawan. In the recent times, Dhawan had largely struggled with his timing in the middle.

He was out of action from the Indian team as well. This was largely due to an injury and then combined with the fact that he had a rough run in the past few months. However, the veteran Delhi batsman has looked good in the IPL thus far. He recently scored a match winning 70 in a fixture in the IPL 10. SRH mentor VVS Laxman has looked very happy with the way Shikhar has been performing.

As per the recent quotes in the India Today, Laxman said that he has been batting very well. He noted that the player has been timing the ball well and is looking in fine touch. He further backed Dhawan to open the innings along with Rohit Sharma in the upcoming edition of the ICC Champions Trophy.

“Shikhar has been batting really well from the first match. Unfortunately, he has not been able to convert that into a big score but in last match he did really well and got a very good half-century against Delhi. He’s batting well, he’s timing well, has made some technical changes in his batting and also looks in a great space as far as his mind is concerned,” quoted VVS Laxman.

“I feel that Shikhar should open along with Rohit Sharma. If you remember, he had a big role to play in the last Champions Trophy win as well. This combination of Dhawan and Rahul is always lethal and puts the bowlers under tremendous pressure,” he added.

Laxman cited that Dhawan has been very impressive with the way he is shaping up and contributing to the cause of the Sunrisers Hyderabad this season.

“So, I believe selectors will be watching him closely and I feel that, the kind of rhythm he is in, he’s giving a lot of confidence to a lot of people. We, as a franchise, are also very pleased with the way Shikhar has been contributing to the Sunrisers’ success so far,” added the former cricketer.

It was not only Dhawan who managed to get in the good books of Laxman. Veteran Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh has also managed to impress Laxman with his form and work ethic in the SRH camp. He reflected back at the knock of 150 that Yuvraj hit in Cuttack to cite how good a batsman Yuvraj has become since his return to the national setup. He revealed that Yuvraj already has the Champions Trophy on his mind and is hopeful to do well in the tournament.

“Yeah, Yuvraj’s return at the international level has been a brilliant one. If you see, he performed really well in the domestic cricket, got a double hundred and earned his recall. Then came that phenomenal knock against England in Cuttack where he got a 150. The good thing about him is that he is not only thinking about doing well for Hyderabad in the IPL but also looking ahead,” Laxman said.

“I am very impressed with his work ethics, the amount of time he is spending on his fitness, working on his fielding and also focusing on his bowling. He is already thinking about the Champions Trophy because there is not much time between the end of the IPL and Champions Trophy,” conceded VVS Laxman.