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'Bhai tu mere top 3 me hota' -  Fans react as Shikhar Dhawan reveals first five players in his dream ODI XI

Shikhar Dhawan has revealed the first five players in his dream ODI XI ahead of the 2023 Asia Cup and World Cup.

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Daniel S
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Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan (Source: Twitter)

Veteran India opener Shikhar Dhawan has revealed the first five players in his dream ODI XI ahead of the 2023 Asia Cup and World Cup. One of the best white-ball cricketers, Dhawan is currently not part of any format and is not in the plans for the upcoming major tournaments. With three of his 17 ODI centuries coming in the 50-over World Cup, the southpaw is undoubtedly a big-match player.

Speaking on a show with the Cricket Governing Body, Dhawan named former India skipper Virat Kohli as the best batter in the world and the first choice in his Dream XI. "The first (picked) is Virat of course. He is the best batter in the world and has been scoring runs like crazy," he said.

Dhawan's next choice was India captain Rohit Sharma, who has also been his opening partner across formats over the years. "Rohit is a very experienced customer. He has scored lots of runs in major tournaments and bilateral (series) and he's a proven player," Dhawan added.

Two pacers and a spinner make up the next three spots

The 37-year-old then picked Australia left-arm speedster Mitchell Starc and Afghanistan's spin wizard Rashid Khan. In Dhawan's opinion, Starc, who has taken 219 wickets in 110 ODIs, and Rashid, who took 167 wickets in 89 ODIs, have performed well in India in the past and can make a huge impact in the upcoming World Cup in India.

"I'll go for Mitchell Starc as he is one of the best fast bowlers (in the world). The fourth player will be Rashid Khan with his mystery action. I am sure he'll be very, very impactful (in India) and will take lots of wickets," he said.

For the fifth player, Dhawan had two choices in Pakistan pace sensation Shaheen Afridi and South Africa speedster Kagiso Rabada. However, the Punjab Kings opener opted to go with his IPL teammate as he wanted more variety in his attack.

"Shaheen Afridi I wouldn't take because then there would be two left-arm pacers, so I'll go for Rabada. Rabada has that extra pace and extra bounce that is going to rush the batters," concluded Dhawan.

Here's how fans reacted to Shikhar Dhawan revealing the first five players in his dream ODI XI: 

ODI World Cup 2023 Shikhar Dhawan World Cup 2023