Shikhar Dhawan brushes off KL Rahul taunts from fans after Ranji Trophy comeback hundred

India opener Shikhar Dhawan made a comeback into cricket on Wednesday after suffering a knee injury in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match last month. Dhawan made the most of leading Delhi in their Ranji Trophy match against Hyderabad by scoring 140 on a pitch where the rest of the team's batsmen failed. He scored the ton at an uncharacteristically low strike-rate of 67.63 before he being dismissed by Ravi Kiran.

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Shikhar Dhawan plays 'box cricket'

Speaking to a leading Indian media portal, Shikhar Dhawan admitted to have taken inspiration from 'box cricket' to play more conservatively, i.e. he only played close to the body. The southpaw added that over the years, experience has also taught him to play selective shots. Dhawan said that he hardly played any drives against the fast bowlers on a difficult track.

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The 34-year-old has endured a difficult 2019 because of suffering from multiple injuries, which has affected his form. His replacement KL Rahul has welcomed the opportunity with open arms and has been helping Rohit Sharma at the top of the innings. Rahul's impact could be felt in a Ranji Trophy game in Delhi as well. When Dhawan reached his fifty in the game against Hyderabad, the crowd chanted "Score more than KL Rahul" to remind him about the possibility of losing his place in the Indian team for a long period of time.

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Shikhar Dhawan ready to express himself

A few days ago, Dhawan admitted that Rahul's form will make his comeback slightly more difficult and that it is a 'fresh start' for him. He added that he was hit on the finger, then on the neck, bruised eye and then stitches on the knee but the good news is that 2020 gives him renewed hopes. Dhawan clarified that 'he doesn't think like the media' as he accused them of comparing him with Rahul and adding fuel to speculations of the duo being insecure about each other. 

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