Watch: Shikhar Dhawan's Befitting Reply To Reporter's Query Of Him Not Getting Enough Credit For His Performances

Shikhar Dhawan has been chosen to lead India in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, which gets underway on Friday in Port of Spain, in the absence of as many as seven regular white-ball players, including some notable names in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Along with Rohit and Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan was formerly regarded as one of India's Big Three in the batting order. Dhawan was one of India's regular batters in the white-ball format up till the 2019 World Cup. However, things have changed over time.  Dhawan lost his place in the 2021 T20 World Cup team, and is now fighting to fix his spot in the ODI team.

Dhawan discussed India's preparation for the important series and the strain of leading the Men in Blue during the pre-game presser. A journalist questioned the experienced India opener amid this about if it felt weird that, despite his performances, he doesn't get enough recognition in white-ball cricket.

"Ajeeb kya lagega, aab toh 10 saal hogaya (I don't feel odd, I have heard it for 10 years). People keep talking, I keep performing. If I listened to them, I wouldn't be here. I have the experience, so I'm not too worried. As long as I self-analyse and improve, nothing else matters," replied Dhawan.

Watch the video here

&t=1s

Dhawan has the responsibility to guide many youngsters in this series. He has some experience in getting the best out of the upcoming cricketers. The 36-year-old felt confident in his team's success in the series.

"I'm a very positive person. For me, positivity is about self-belief and the confidence you take in. I have that since I've been playing for so many years. I'm here because I've done some good things. That is the positivity I want to pass on to the youngsters.

"We want to create the kind of energy where we put faith in each other to ensure the result takes care of itself. There is pressure in international cricket, sure, but it's not the kind of pressure that will change my personality or style of play. I have a lot of belief in myself and the team," he added.