Thiruvananthapuram: Out-of-form opener Shikhar Dhawan will be aiming to get his mojo back when he turns out for India ‘A’ in the last two games of the five-match unofficial ODI series against South Africa ‘A’ beginning on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old batsman, who was drafted in as replacement for injured all-rounder Vijay Shankar, is likely to feature in the playing XI for Wednesday’s fourth game. Dhawan could manage just 65 runs across five international games that included three T20s and two ODIs after recovering from a hand fracture sustained during World Cup. With the senior Indian team taking on South Africa in the T20 internationals beginning on September 15, Dhawan will look to find form quickly in the remaining two India A games.
The fourth game of the series will see a change in captaincy with Shreyas Iyer taking over from Manish Pandey. Having secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series, India ‘A’ could see a few changes and more players getting opportunities. The next two games will also see Sanju Samson replace Ishan Kishan as the wicket-keeper.
The Kerala player, who is also in contention for the role of gloveman in India’s limited-overs format along with Kishan, will aim to impress in the opportunities that come his way. It will also be an important match for Shubman Gill, who has not made big scores in the first two games. (PTI)
