Having given ample demonstration of his appetite for notching up big scores, India's batting sensation Shikhar Dhawan on Tuesday said he has become mentally strong, and that his shot selection has got better in the past one year, says a report in Deccan Chronicle.
"I have been technically sound even three years back but in the last one year I have become mentally strong and have worked on my shot selection, which is much better now. I have matured as a batsman. I am very happy that I have become more consistent," said Dhawan.
The 27-year-old said in the past one year he realised his potential and worked harder on his batting. "I got more hungry for runs. I realised that I have the ability to play at the highest level and started to work harder," Dhawan said at a function organised by R K Global, which appointed the opening batsman as its brand ambassador.
Dhawan, playing for India A in South Africa recently, smashed a blistering 248 off 150 balls against South Africa A, missing out on the world record by just 20 runs.
"I always dreamt of scoring 200 runs but reaching 248 is a big thing for me and I am extremely thankful to God that I became the second highest scorer in the world. When you play on foreign pitches, you get used to their condition. In South Africa, bounce and pace was there. I also got to know the conditions like wind speed, etc. So I think that will definitely help me,” said Dhawan.
According to a report in The Times India, when reminded about the disastrous tours of England and Australia in the recent past, Dhawan said, "We're confident of doing well abroad now. I totally believe we can do really well in South Africa. The important thing is how I prepare, how we prepare. We are a strong fielding unit. We are a young side. We have been winning tournaments on foreign soil and that makes us more positive."
Dhawan attributes the remarkable turnaround in his career to "mental" aspects. "I was technically sound even three years back but in the last one year I have become mentally strong. When I wasn't performing well, it hurt me because I knew I had the ability. I started putting more love into my game. It's love for cricket. I have matured as a batsman. I got more hungry for runs. My shot selection has improved. I have worked on it."
According to a report in The Asian Age, BCCI’s decision to truncate India’s tour to South Africa has raised may questions, but Dhawan said it was not in his hands. “That’s BCCI’s call. At the end of the day, my job is to play cricket and as long as I am playing against any opposition I am happy,” he said.
Asked who is a better captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni or Virat Kohli, Dhawan said, "Dhoni has won so many tournaments for the country. He is one of the best captains in the world. Kohli, on the other hand, is young and he has done well in limited chances. There is no comparison between the two."