An attacking left-handed batsman, Shikhar Dhawan is part of a power-packed Delhi top order, comprising of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli. Dhawan shot to prominence during the 2003-04 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, where he was named the Player of the Tournament for scoring 505 runs at 84.16 with three centuries. His successful run continued when he made his Ranji debut for Delhi in 2004-05, finishing as the team's leading run-getter with 461 runs. He had been a consistent performer for his state side since, as his average of nearly 45 indicates. He played a pivotal role in his team's Ranji title win in 2007-08, scoring 570 runs in eight games. Television audiences had a good glimpse of Dhawan during the IPL's inaugural season in 2008, where he continued his good run with the Delhi Daredevils. Mumbai Indians swapped Ashish Nehra for Dhawan the following season. Dhawan is still a fringe player in Indian cricket and has proved himself to be a suitable reserve opener in all formats of the game.
Cricinfo Staff March 2010