The 33-year old Shikhar Dhawan is a familiar name when it comes to limited over cricket of India. He is famous for his powerful hitting, ‘gabbar’ like mustache and candid attitude. Dhawan hardly shows emotion on field that is often misunderstood. He calls it ‘thehrav’ and believes that he doesn’t lack intensity in his work.
Dhawan talks to TOI about dealing with pressure
“I hardly show my emotions. The intensity stays inside me,” He added, “Getting excited will not help. I like to have a clear mind but that doesn’t mean I don’t have any intensity.” Although he loves going for a bike ride and partying around like old days he tries to maintain a sanity. “When I talk about thehrav, I still like to have fun the way I did during my Ranji days. I take my wife around for fun bike rides any time I want.” He added, “I can’t let pressure take control. The more I think about my game, the more it’s likely to hamper me. I have to make sure I don’t allow emotions to get the better of me and I am calm on the field.”
Intense cricket discussions with wife Aesha
He shared how he gets into an intense discussion about cricket with his wife and how his daughters have helped him to focus more. “I was lucky that with my wife came her two daughters. That helped me channelize my energy. I became less distracted, more focused. It has brought thehrav in my life.”
Although he has been a regular name in limited over cricket, Dhawan still lacks the test cricket stamp. He has his point of argument regarding the same. “My record in Test cricket is pretty good. I average around 41-42. If you see the conditions during the Test series in England, it was very tough. The field-placing is very attacking and you tend to be more careful. It’s just that the approach changes in limited-overs cricket. You get to express yourself a lot better and drop inhibitions.”
Shikhar Dhawan believes in learning and he learns even from the juniors. “Even at Capitals, I may be the senior player and guide youngsters like Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, but I also realize they are also professionals who have made it to this level. So I go looking for answers from them and try to learn how they deal with situations.” It took time for him to find a constant place in the national cricket team and so he knows how to value it.
“I love everything – the ups and downs – about the last five-six years of my life. You learn to value the journey. I don’t want to let go the joy of winning, the pain of losing and the pressure that it brings. It has also brought responsibility.” He further added, “You know the value of a thing when you finally get it. It’s my passion for the game that has helped me get through the rough periods in my life.”
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Written by Shreyasi Dravid
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