15 runs bana kar out ho jaega: Shikhar Dhawan recalls being sledged by Pakistan fans in 2015 World Cup

India opener Shikhar Dhawan has revealed that he was sledged by Pakistan fans ahead of his side's 2015 World Cup clash against the arch-rivals.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Shikhar Dhawan said he was going through a lean patch before the start of World Cup
• Shikhar Dhawan overcame all the sledges and replied to the Pakistan fans in style
• India won the match by 76 runs

Swashbuckling opener Shikhar Dhawan has revealed that Pakistan fans took a shot at him ahead of Team India's 2015 World Cup match against the neighbours.

The southpaw recalled that he was having a bad run ahead of the 2015 World Cup and hadn't performed well in the series against Australia. Before the start of the World Cup, Dhawan had scored 73 runs in a 3-match T20I series against the 2015 World Cup hosts Australia.

Shikhar Dhawan said that when he was entering the Adelaide Oval Pakistan fans mocked him and predicted that he would score just 15 runs in the match. However, Shikhar Dhawan stood his ground and went on to score 73 runs off 76 balls in the match. His innings consisted of 7 fours and 1 sixes. The same crowd applauded him later.

“I feel pressurised against Pakistan because of the environment in the ground, that’s a whole different feeling. I still remember our game against Pakistan in 2015 World Cup in Adelaide. My form wasn’t that good during that time and I didn’t play well in Australia series before the World Cup,” he said.

“Our first World Cup game was against Pakistan and when I was walking down at the venue, Pakistan fans were shouting, ‘Tu toh 15 runs banake out hojayega' (You will get out after scoring 15 runs). I was like ‘oh okay’. And then, I went on to score 73 runs and the same people clapped for me on my way to the pavilion.”

India went on to put a target of 301 runs for Pakistan but the arch-rivals against lost to India in a World Cup match as India bowlers bowled superbly to bundle out the Men in Green for just 224 runs. Virat Kohli, the centurion of the match was declared Man of the Match in the high-octane clash.

The 34-year-old added that the expectation of Indian fans very high when the team face Pakistan.

“For Indian fans, Team India should win against Pakistan by any means in ICC events no matter what. They taunt each other sitting in the stands,” Dhawan added.