Former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan feels that Shubman Gill will come good in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. The opening batsman enters the ICC tournament in a confident mood as he appears on top of his game during the recently concluded England ODI series. He scored two half-centuries and a hundred in three games and was also awarded the Player of the Series.’. Following his appointment as India’s vice-captain, Dhawan believes Gill will have a massive contribution to make in India at the forthcoming tournament.
“There are plenty of reasons why India should be looking bright. They’ve got a nicely balanced team, particularly with the bat – there’s a great mix of experience and youth. Shubman Gill, in particular, is so consistent and he plays a big part. I feel he will have an excellent tournament,” Dhawan said to the ICC.
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The 39-year-old also demonstrated trust in the team’s senior batters. “Rohit Sharma has come into form, Virat Kohli is present; they are a quality side and will be difficult to stop,” he continued.
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 fantastic feeling, one of the biggest of my life. I scored a century in the first match against South Africa and it was a big relief because it was my comeback match in ODI cricket,” Shikhar Dhawan reminisced during the interaction with the ICC.
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“I was going great in the Test team and it brought me back into the ODI team. I was excited and nervous but also very confident. Even with Rohit or Virat Kohli, I would tell myself that I was the best batsman in the world,” he further added.
India, who are placed in Group A, will encounter Bangladesh in the first match of the Champions Trophy. The fixture will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 20.
