New Delhi [India], February 28 (ANI): Ahead of India's clash against New Zealand in Dubai, former opener Shikhar Dhawan spoke about his own 2013 Champions Trophy journey, his 9-year-long opening partnership with Rohit Sharma, which also began at the same tournament, and his thoughts on Rohit Sharma as a captain in a special series.

The Men in Blue will lock horns with the Mitchell Santner-led side in their last group stage match in the ongoing marquee event at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

'We trust each other and our understanding and level of communication was very high. On the field and off, our bond is the same. We played together, and we have partied together after winning so many series. We have played as a team. That whole journey and even before playing for India, when Rohit was 16 -17 years old, I played in the Under-19 World Cup. So, we have been together and have been friends since then,' Shikhar Dhawam said while speaking on JioHotstar.

Further, the left-hand batter opened up on opening the innings with Rohit Sharma for the first time at the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy and then playing together for 10 years.

'This opening pair decision was made half a day prior to that match. At that time, I was also new, and I was in my own world. I had made a comeback and needed to perform well. But MS Dhoni took this decision and instructed Rohit to open. So I didn't think much about it. I thought if Rohit opens, we'll enjoy batting together. We got such a great start in the first match. We were at 100 without losing a wicket. We didn't score 30 -35 runs up to the 10th over because the wicket was seaming. But I never thought that our pair would be so massive and we would play together for 10 years,' the southpaw added.

The 39-year-old also spoke about Rohit Sharma's captaincy and said that the Mumbai-born cricketer knows what to do in a high-pressure situation.

'From 2013 to 2025, 12 years of experience is a lot. Rohit has been through a lot. He knows how to work in a high-pressure situation and how to gather the boys. As a leader, he has become mature, he knows when to be lenient and when to pull back. It's a fine balance, and Rohit's bond with the boys is amazing. We are in a great situation,' Shikhar Dhawan concluded.

In his illustrious career, runs effortlessly came off Dhawan's bat. He represented India across all formats, but ODI's were his forte. In 167 appearances, the southpaw produced swashbuckling performances and racked up 6,793 runs at an average of 44.1, including 17 centuries and 39 fifties.

In the longest format of cricket, where he stitched up memorable opening stands, Dhawan garnered 2,315 runs in 34 matches at an average of 40.6. His Test career was laced with seven tons and five half-centuries. In the T20I format, Dhawan made 68 appearances and scored 1,759 runs at an average of 27.9, including 11 fifties. (ANI)