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Since Rishi Dhawan-led Himachal Pradesh clinched historic victory against mighty Tamil Nadu in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy, the skipper has become the talk of the town and is regarded as a prominent all-rounder. He was widely applauded for his captaincy skills in the tournament and added feathers to his reputation with his all-round performance in his maiden domestic title for the state.
While talking to SportsTiger exclusively, Anuj Das, the head coach of Himachal Pradesh, regarded Rishi as the next big thing in Indian cricket. "Dhawan was unparalleled in the finals. He could have done anything on that day. He successfully led the team, bowled exceptionally well and played the most decisive knock," said Anuj Das.
Recalling moments from the dressing room, Das proudly narrated that Dhawan was not at all nervous and scared in front of Tamil Nadu's mammoth total of 314. "He was confident and injected the same passion in each and every player of the team. He was so desperate to win the game. And his positive energy was well conveyed in others too due to which team was able to perform so well," he added. Highlighting Rishi's ability to stay involved in the game, the coach informed that he has improved himself so much, and has been consistent with his preparation. "His ability to bowl, bat and lead the team provides an edge to the team he plays for," Das added.
Anuj Das also mentioned the fact that Rishi was one of the prospects considered for the South Africa tour, but could not make it. However, he also requested the board to nurture such talent by giving them consistent opportunities in the national side. "He is the kind of player a skipper always wants in his team. His performance speaks volumes of his talent and capabilities. I have been coaching him for a long time and monitoring his growth very closely. He had some challenges but very soon he identified them and overcame them. He takes his game very seriously and that was evident in the finals of Vijay Hazare Trophy," he said.
Das also believes that Rishi Dhawan along with players like Shubham Arora, Amit Kumar, Prashant Chopra, Vinay Galetiya, Pankaj Jaiswal, Nikhil Ganta and Mayank Dagar are the major prospects to be part of the Indian Premier League and "franchises must bet heavily on these players as they are not performing well but also ready for the crucial tournament."
