Lately, Shikhar Dhawan's position as an opener in the India's limited-overs setup, especially in T20Is, has not been permanent. The swashbuckling batter did not find a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad last year. The left-hander has managed to hold on to his place in the ODI set-up but has not featured in a T20I since July last year. Speaking to NDTV, Dhawan stated that the decision to include him in the squad rests on the selectors. "If you perform well, the doors are always open. The call lies with selectors, I am enjoying my journey. I have been performing well and I am enjoying my cricket", he said on the sidelines of the launch of Shikhar Dhawan Foundation.
The Punjab Kings (PBKS) cricketer last played in February in the ODI series against West Indies. India went on to win the series 3-0 at home.
Also, Dhawan recently tested positive for Covid-19 this year which also saw him miss an ODI match vs West Indies.
The 36-year-old has represented India in 149 ODIs, registering 6284 runs. In T20Is, Dhawan has smashed 1759 runs in 68 fixtures and 2315 runs in 34 Tests.
A Champions Trophy winner from 2013, Dhawan has also played in 192 IPL games, smashing 5783 runs.
For the upcoming IPL 2022 season, Dhawan was purchased by PBKS during the mega auction for Rs 8.25 crore, which also included a bidding war with Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Delhi Capitals (DC). Last season, he represented Delhi in the IPL. Dhawan and PBKs will open their IPL 2022 campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in March 27 in Mumbai.