I was a bit shocked: Shikhar Dhawan on being excluded from Asian games squad

Senior India batter Shikhar Dhawan was a bit shocked at his nonselection for Indias Asian Games 2023 squad but remains determined to make a national comeback in the near futureThe Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI named a 20member squad dominated by youngsters for Hangzhou Asian Games in SeptemberOctober with the firstchoice players busy with preparation for the ODI World Cup at homeThe 37yearold lefthander was tipped to lead the secondstring India team in China a role he performed until 10 months ago but the selectors did not pick him and named Ruturaj Gaikwad as captainWhen my name was not there for Asian Games I was a bit shocked But then I was like they have a different thought process you just have to accept it Happy that Rutu Gaikwad will lead the side All the young boys are there I am sure they will do well Dhawan told PTI on ThursdayWith Shubman Gill joining Rohit Sharma at the top it seems the Indian team has moved on from Dhawan who had become a oneformat player until he was dropped from the ODI side following the Bangladesh tour in December 2022The everoptimistic Dhawan who has been among Indias leading ODI batters over the past decade said he cant foresee what is in store for him but will be ready if an opportunity comes his wayI will be ready of course for the comeback That is why I keep myself fit so whenever I get a chance I am ready There is always a chance whether it is one percent or 20 percentI still enjoy training and I still enjoy the game these are the things in my control Whatever decision is made I respect that said the southpaw who remains a centrallycontracted cricketer and spends a lot of time at the National Cricket AcademyAlso Read 2023 Asian Games Full list of qualified Indian athletes at the quadrennial eventIf the India comeback doesnt happen Dhawan has an IPL trophy to win for Punjab Kings He also expressed his keenness to play in some domestic tournaments before the IPLI have not spoken to any selector about my future I keep going to NCA I enjoy my time there the facilities are great NCA has shaped my career and I am grateful for itAlso I have to prepare for the IPL I will be playing the Syed Mushtaq Ali and hopefully the Vijay Hazare as well he said referring to the two domestic tournamentsTough to maintain flow as oneformat playerDhawan was playing only ODIs before being sidelined from the team He said that turning up at the highest level in a single format can negatively impact the gameYou keep getting breaks and you have to come back But if you think it is difficult it will be difficult I never thought like that At the same time when the other players are involved in multiple formats the flow in the game is a bit more and that matters a lot If they do well then it strikes in your eyes as well attracts attentionWith more than 10000 international runs in his kitty Dhawan has a lot to be grateful for It is unlikely that he will get to feature in his third straight ODI World Cup but he is prepared to embrace whatever comes his wayI am in a very happy state of mind When you play the World Cup it is a great feeling I am very blessed to have such an amazing career and contribute to the Indian teamAt this stage you go year by year Physically I am very fit and I have an IPL to win for Punjab Kings Hopefully we can do that next year said Dhawan who has three World Cup hundreds to his nameDhawan has more time at his disposal now that he is not part of the Indian team anymore Besides working on his game and fitness he also focuses on his commercial ventures which fall under the Da One Group umbrellaIt is important to be productive We live quite a highpaced life especially when you are playing all formats like I used to at one point Now I have enough time so I keep myself involved with my business interestsI train well and dont sit at home and make sure it doesnt get into my head Working on my fitness and my body gives me a lot of positivityI would go with Surya at number fourWith Shreyas Iyerrsquos return to the Indian team still unconfirmed the number four position in the Indian ODI setup is up for grabs ahead of the World Cup Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson are the contenders while R Ashwin thinks rookie batter Tilak Varma can be a good choice at that positionI would go with Surya at four as he is an experienced player and has been playing international cricket for a whileAlso really looking forward to see how Shubman Gill does in the World Cup Another batter to watch out for will be Rohit Sharma as he did exceptionally well in the last World Cup he said referring to Rohits five hundreds in the 2019 editionAlso Read ODI World Cup 2023 calling is Team India really readyOn Indias chances in the World Cup he added We have got a very good side which has the right blend of experience and youth We will have the home advantage We know the grounds and pitches and that is going to come in very handyWith PTI inputs