BENGALURU: Soon after Himachal Pradesh had defeated Goa by four wickets in their Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group. A game at Alur on Sunday, Rishi Dhawan geared up for a round of batting practice. “Bhai chal aaja, thoda batting practice karle, jaane ka time hay abhi (let’s go for batting practice, we still have time),” Rishi could be heard shouting. Rishi, who was out for four in the match, perhaps wanted to bury the disappointment.
He knows he has to make the most of every opportunity that comes his way. The 28-year-old had gotten a chance in 2016 when India were searching for an all-rounder for limited-overs. But Rishi had failed to make it count. In three ODIs against Australia, he bagged just one wicket and scored 12 runs. His lower-order position didn’t help his batting cause.
His bowling economy was also abysmal. He got another chance in the T20I series against Zimbabwe but he proved costly there too and thus faced the axe. His all-round performance in the following seasons, however, didn’t back his cause. Though his performance in the Ranji Trophy was good, he didn’t do well in the limited-overs. This season in Hazare so far, he has scalped six and has scored 26 runs in three games.
On Sunday, against Goa, he bagged one wicket for 28 runs. All negatives aside, he had a fruitful time in England playing in the 50-over North Lancashire and Cumbria League (an independent club cricket league) in June. He scored 422 runs in 12 innings and scalped 46 wickets with the best bowling figure of 7/ 40. “During my three months time in England, I did well and got the confidence back. I have worked on my swing and also increased my pace. I have also worked on my fitness. I am better prepared this time.”