IPL 2020: 'I have full faith in me': Shikhar Dhawan on his purple patch in the tournament

Delhi's flamboyant opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan believes that he can turn whatever he touches into gold. 'Gabbar' is indeed having an outstanding run in the ongoing Dream11 IPL 2020 where he has scored two back-to-back centuries against Chennai and northern rivals Punjab respectively. The southpaw is now the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 465 runs from 10 games with twin centuries.

'I have full faith in me that...': Shikhar Dhawan

"I like to stay happy, don't like to take the stress. Firstly what people say doesn't reach my ears and I don't wish to listen to what is being said and secondly, I love playing and it gives me joy. I know the hard work I have done and how fit I am and the preparations that I have done. I have full faith in me that whatever I touch I will turn it into gold," said Dhawan while speaking to ANI. 

Starting off slowly, Dhawan says he had a word with head coach Ricky Ponting who did say that he was hitting the ball well and that is what is important.

"Ricky bhai said that I was batting well and I knew I wanted to play a little fast. I had a discussion on that also with him. I was happy with the 20s and 30s because they were impactful. What matters in T20s is how important those 30 runs were. I thought I was playing the role of the opener. The moment I got fifties, I gained in confidence and then by God's grace I scored the centuries," he explained.

READ: Dream11 IPL's 'El Clasico': Chennai-Mumbai Clash Excites Fans Despite MSD & Co.'s Failures

Dhawan says numbers don't matter to him, to be honest. "If I keep thinking about scoring centuries, I will burden myself. My idea is to go out and give it my best shot. If I give it my best, the rest will follow. That also helps to keep me mentally light. Why should I add to my expectations?

"Like, going into the first few games of the season, I didn't have any fifty or anything so 500 runs in the season looked a distant dream. But I have been scoring 500 over the last few seasons, so rather than using it as a pressure scenario, I looked at it positively and thought it is good if I achieve it, else I will try and do my best for the team. The idea is to keep it simple and be disciplined. Simple isn't as simple as it sounds, you also need to be mentally strong," he said.

Delhi look to consolidate the top spot in the points table

Despite a loss against northern rivals Punjab on Tuesday night, Delhi continue to remain at the summit of the points table with 14 points from 10 matches. They will next be seen in action against the two-time winners Kolkata at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Saturday. 

READ: IPL 2020: Jason Holder Glad To Have Made An Impact In His First Game Of The Season

(With ANI Inputs)

(Image Courtesy: BCCI/IPL)