‘The former Indian opener, Shikhar Dhawan reckons that Shubman Gill will deliver in India’s upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. The opening batter heads into the ICC tournament high on confidence as he looks on top of his game in the recently concluded ODI series against England. He struck two half-centuries and a hundred in three matches and was also named the Player of the Series. After being appointed as India’s vice-captain, Dhawan reckons Gill will play a huge role in India in the upcoming tournament.
“There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic for India. They have a very balanced side, especially with the bat – there is a nice blend of experience and youth. Shubman Gill, in particular, is so consistent and he has a big role to play. I think he will have a great tournament,” Dhawan told the ICC.
The 39-year-old further showed faith in the senior batters of the squad. “Rohit Sharma has found form, Virat Kohli is there; they are a top side and will take some stopping,” he added.
Dhawan remains India’s leading run-scorer in Champions Trophy history. In his ten appearances in the tournament, the southpaw has aggregated 710 runs at an exceptional average of 77.88. His tally includes three centuries, with the highest score of 125 coming against Sri Lanka in the 2017 edition. He finished as the highest scorer in 2013 when India won their second title under the captaincy of MS Dhoni.
“Winning in 2013 was a great achievement, one of the biggest of my career. I scored a century in the first game against South Africa and it was a huge relief because it was my comeback match in ODI cricket,” Dhawan recalled during the interaction with the ICC.
