Shikhar Dhawan's scores in the last seven T20 innings since the start of the ICC World T20 2016 reads: 1, 6, 23, 13, 8, 6 & 2. Dhawan's highest score in IPL 2016 for the Sunrisers Hyderabad so far is 8.
The left-handed batsman has shown no conviction in this edition of the IPL and thus he has been getting out cheaply in all the matches.
It is not like Dhawan does not have it in him. He is one of the sweetest timers of the ball and his pick up shots off his pads are indeed something to watch out for. But, for a while now, the timing is not there and neither is the consistency.
Dhawan is undoubtedly an impact player as he has successfully managed to score more than 300 runs in all the editions of the IPL since 2010. He averages just a little over 30 and that is considered to be pretty good in this shortest format of the game.
But, in IPL 2016, his average of 5.33 and a strike-rate of 80.0 is not good enough, even if it is only from three matches. David Warner has tried to lead this Sunrisers Hyderabad side from the front by scoring runs with his bat. The captain will want a solid opening partner along with him so that SRH gets off to better starts, and the early pressure does not fall on the middle order.
Maybe Kane Williamson in place of Dhawan will be a wise choice. But Williamson is yet to recover from a hamstring injury. Williamson averages 34.53 in international T20 cricket and also boasts of a strike rate of 124.29. However, he played only two matches in IPL 2015 and is yet to feature in the current edition.
If Williamson comes in place of Dhawan, one of the foreigners -- either Moises Henriques or Eoin Morgan -- will have to make way. So far, Morgan has scored 84 runs in three matches in the IPL 2016 and his best is yet to be seen. The England limited-overs captain has also scored one half century this season.
Henriques has also been below par in this season of the IPL. He has not managed to pick any wickets and has an economy of 8.30. Henriques' strike rate (83.30) has also been poor.
The other option is the former Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Aditya Tare. The 28-year old cricketer from Mumbai is a hard-hitting batsman and once helped MI to qualify for the playoffs with an outstanding innings. Tare, on his day, cause some serious damage at the top of the order along with Warner. Tare's stats do not speak very highly about him, but his strike is just a little above 133 and that is quite healthy when it comes to opening the batting.
However, Warner will want to give Dhawan a couple more opportunities and see if the left-hander finally finds some form. No one can question Dhawan's ability to strike the ball, but if he does not start scoring, he may lose his spot, not just with SRH but with India as well, as there are plenty of batsmen waiting in queue for an opportunity.
