Former opener Shikhar Dhawan discussed his personal 2013 Champions Trophy adventure, his nine-year opening combination with Rohit Sharma, which started at the same event, and his opinions on Rohit Sharma as a skipper in a special series before India’s match against New Zealand in Dubai.

In Sunday’s last group stage encounter of the current championship tournament at the Dubai International Stadium, the Men in Blue will square off against the Mitchell Santner-led team.

“We have a great degree of mutual trust, understanding, and communication. Our camaraderie is the same on and off the field. After winning so many series, we celebrated together and played together. As a team, we have played. During that whole process, I participated in the Under-19 World Cup even before I played for India, when Rohit was 16–17 years old. Thus, we have been friends and together ever since,” Shikhar Dhawam said on JioHotstar.

Additionally, after playing alongside Rohit Sharma for ten years, the left-hander opened up after beginning the innings for the first time at the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

“The choice on the starting pair was made half a day before the event. I was also brand new at the time, and I was living in my own universe. I needed to do well since I had returned. However, MS Dhoni made the choice and told Rohit to open. I didn’t give it much thought. I assumed we would love batting together if Rohit opened. We had a fantastic start to the first game. Without losing a wicket, we reached 100. Up until the tenth over, we failed to get thirty to thirty-five runs because the wicket was seaming. However, I never imagined that our duo would be so big and that we would play together for a decade,” the southpaw said.

The 39-year-old also discussed Rohit Sharma’s leadership, stating that the player, who was born in Mumbai, is capable of handling pressure.

“Twelve years of experience from 2013 to 2025 is a lot. Rohit has experienced a great deal. He is skilled at rallying the boys and working under duress. He has grown up as a leader and understands when to be forgiving and when to back off. Rohit’s relationship with the boys is remarkable, and it’s a delicate balance. We’re in a fantastic position,” Shikhar Dhawan said in closing.

Throughout his remarkable career, Dhawan’s bat produced runs with ease. Although he played for India in all forms, ODIs were his specialty. The southpaw amassed 6,793 runs at an average of 44.1 in 167 outings, including 17 hundreds and 39 fifties, and displayed daring displays.

In 34 matches, Dhawan scored 2,315 runs at an average of 40.6 in cricket’s longest format, where he created iconic opening partnerships. He scored five half-centuries and seven tons throughout his Test career. Dhawan had 68 appearances and amassed 1,759 runs at an average of 27.9 in the T20I format, including 11 fifty-cents.