IPL 2015: Lucky to have Played Under MS Dhoni, Says Shikhar Dhawan

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan has played a crucial role at the top of the order for the men in orange and he is looking forward to carry on with his good form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015. He also reflects on his recent success and said that he is lucky to have played under Indian skipper MS Dhoni.

"I am lucky to have played under Dhoni. More than the professional, he is great human being. It gives you confidence and belief when the captain is backing you during your bad phase. He was confident of my abilities when the critics wanted me out of the team," The Times of India quoted him as saying. 

Dhawan was in flying form during the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2015. He was the highest run-scorer for India, notching up 412 runs in eight innings with an average of 51.50. He spoke about the memorable journey of World Cup as well. 

"It was a memorable. We were playing well in the Test series, but couldn't win a single match in three months. From there to win seven successive matches was a tremendous achievement. Most importantly we played aggressive cricket. Our fans praised us despite not winning the Cup which was great," said Dhawan.

When asked about how would he compare Virat Kohli and Dhoni as skippers, he said, "Virat's progress has been amazing in these last four to five years. He has taken his game to a different level. But they are different characters.

"Dhoni is one of the calmest captains you will ever see, while Virat is very aggressive, of course in a good way. Virat has played a lot under Dhoni so he must have learnt a lot of things from him. Both love to lead from the front and love to back players," Dhawan added. 

Dhawan and David Warner have given SRH the perfect starts and this attacking duo will be important for their side in their upcoming matches in this tournament. Dhawan has also scored 320 runs in 11 matches in the ongoing IPL and he would look to add some more runs to his name in order to give his side a chance to qualify for the playoffs.