‘There is no need of dragging back past baggage’ - Shikhar Dhawan before ODIs against New Zealand

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan will be returning to ODI action soon and he will also be seen leading the team against the New Zealand team. Dhawan was appointed as the captain for the first time when the Men in Blue played against Sri Lanka last year in the white-ball series. Since then he has captained India several times and brought good results for the team.

Earlier this month, the left-hander was also appointed as the captain of the Punjab Franchise for the next edition of the Indian T20 League. The franchise has a lot of expectations from Dhawan as previous captains have failed to get Punjab a cash-rich league trophy.

Dhawan talked about his strength as a leader

Dhawan said that his decision-making ability is improved, he said that as you play more, you get confidence in the decisions you take. He feels that his presence of mind and his smartness are his strengths.

“As you play more, you get confident in the decisions you take. Earlier, there used to be instances where I would give an extra over to a bowler out of regard (for him). But now, as I have matured, even if someone is feeling bad, I will take a decision that will help the team," India batter told ESPNCricinfo.

Dhawan also talked about his calmness on the ground and said that being calm and compassionate allows him to lead well. He can handle things with ease without getting panicked.

“When you play music on a string instrument, if the string is too loose, it won’t sound right, or if it’s too tight, it will break. So it is a question of creating a balance. creating that balance is very important. You need to understand when to pull the string tight and when to leave it a bit loose. That is an art. It is a matter of timing. At this stage, I also understand when to say things to the players and how much to say.” Dhawan said.