When Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India's previous regular leaders, or their stand-ins, were absent, Shikhar Dhawan may have captained the team on several occasions. The experienced opener's position in the team has, however, also been a subject of ongoing debate, to the point where he is now all but eliminated from the T20I setup.

However, it appears that things are different in ODIs since Dhawan has hardly ever been absent from an India 50-over contest over the past two years. Although there have been concerns raised each time he has been removed for a low total, he is widely anticipated to open the batting alongside regular skipper Rohit Sharma in the World Cup the following year. This was the situation following the first ODI match against South Africa, where he was dismissed after just hitting four runs in 16 deliveries. India ultimately suffered a nine-run defeat in the game.

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However, according to former wicketkeeper Saba Karim, Dhawan will almost certainly be on the team when the 2023 World Cup begins. "Shikhar Dhawan's place in the team has been confirmed. There's no need to put pressure on him all the time. There will be one or two matches where he won't score runs. I think the selectors have decided that Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will be the openers in the next 50-over World Cup," he said on India News.

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Regardless of how well he plays with the ball or bat, Shardul Thakur, a fast bowling all-rounder, may find it challenging to earn a berth in the first squad, according to Karim, because he is not a strike pacer and cannot be added to the team just as a hitter. Hardik Pandya, on the other hand, is a player who is invaluable as a lower middle-order batter and has established himself as an important third or fourth seamer for India. He has made a stunning comeback into the Indian side during the past year.

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“He is a very useful player. But Hardik Pandya is a batting all-rounder, while Shardul Thakur is a bowling all-rounder. That's a big difference. We can surely groom Shardul. But I don't see him becoming India's No.1 or No.2 bowler in white-ball cricket. He can only play as a third seamer. If he can bat well, it will be an added advantage,” he said.