Shikhar Dhawan picks favourite captain, batting partner

Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan, on Wednesday, picked Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma as his favourite captain and batting partner respectively.

Dhawan revealed this during a rapid-fire round with former Indian bowler Irfan Pathan on an Instagram Live video session. "(Best batting partner will be) Rohit Sharma... I have only played under Virat and Dhoni, so, as of now, Dhoni bhai," Dhawan said in the video.

However, Dhawan termed skipper Virat Kohli as the 'best current Indian batsman'. Dhawan also praised Sharma for his phenomenal performance in the last year's ICC World Cup saying that 'Rohit did brilliantly in the World Cup as he scored five centuries'.

When Pathan asked Dhawan to name the toughest bowler he has ever faced, the latter named Australian pacer Mitchell Starc.

The 34-year-old also said that he doesn't have any problem in facing the fast bowlers. "Everyone has their own views, I am an opening batsman. I have done that role for India for eight years now, so obviously I play the fast bowlers. If I do not face them in the first over, then I eventually do in the second over. I do not like taking strike on the first ball of the match and I am honest about it but if any youngster comes in the side then I would obviously ask them if they are comfortable taking the strike or not," the left-handed batsman said.

Dhawan said that it was a big challenge for him to switch from SunRisers Hyderabad to Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Dhawan was doing an Instagram Live session with former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan and it was then that the latter asked the left-handed batsman to talk about the switch to Delhi Capitals.

"It was a big challenge for me when I was playing for Delhi Capitals, I played with Hyderabad for eight years, it was a challenge for me to play for Delhi, but I saw it as an opportunity to perform for a new side, I had experience and when you have that, you can find the solutions, Delhi was at the bottom of the table at that time as well but I needed that change, I loved the support staff, I was the senior-most player there during the last season but I loved playing for Delhi," Dhawan told Pathan during the session.

"I stay in Delhi so there is a sense of belonging, I have a huge fan following in Delhi as well so it became easy for me," he added.

Dhawan played 16 matches for the Delhi Capitals in the 2019 edition of the IPL and he went on to score 521 runs at an average of 33.42.

The left-handed batsman played eight years for SunRisers Hyderabad. He also led the franchise for a brief period of time, but he was later replaced by Darren Sammy in the 2014 edition of the tournament.

Dhawan also expressed his views on the IPL saying that the league should take place as people are currently surrounded by just the coronavirus news and fear regarding the virus.

"Of course, IPL should take place because people will get positivity from it. Currently, there is only coronavirus news and fear because of it," Dhawan said.

The 2020 edition of the league was slated to commence on March 29, however, it has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus crisis in the country.