In a batting line-up that boasts of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni, you need to be extra-special to get noticed. And it seems like Shikhar Dhawan is completely aware of the competition and chooses the grandest of the stages to make his presence felt. When it comes to ICC tournaments, he just looks like a different batsman.
Dhawan is like a student who fetches mediocre marks throughout the year but tops in the final exam. After his solid 68 in India’s Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan, he turned on the heat against Sri Lanka. And on his way to 125 from 128 deliveries, Dhawan broke and created a few more records.
1. Fastest to 500-plus runs in Champions Trophy
The southpaw crossed the 500-run mark in Champions Trophy history with his ton against Sri Lanka. Dhawan has taken seven innings to reach the landmark, the fastest ever. The record was earlier held by former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, who reached the mark in 8 innings.
2. Most centuries in Champions Trophy
This was his third Champions Trophy century – the most along with Chris Gayle, Herschelle Gibbs and Sourav Ganguly. Dhawan also has 5 centuries to his name in ICC tournaments, with two of them coming in the 2015 ODI World Cup. Only Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar – 7 centuries each – have scored more tons than him in ICC tournaments.
3. Record century partnerships
With their 138-run partnership against the Lankans, the duo of Rohit Sharma and Dhawan became the first Indian pair to register three consecutive 100-run partnerships. They added 136 runs together against Pakistan in the previous game and 123 runs against Australia in 2016.
4. Unbelievable average in England
A Champions Trophy being held in England is as good as it can get for Dhawan. He boasts an average of 79 in ODIs played in England, which is the highest among batsmen to score 500-plus runs in the country. Remarkable.
5. Third fastest to 10 ODI tons
Dhawan took 77 innings to reach the tally of 10 ODI centuries. The Indian trails Quinton de Kock (55) and Hashim Amla (57). Most importantly, five of those 10 ODI tons have come in ICC tournaments. Again, what a love affair!
