'Captaincy is a new challenge and I am looking forward to it'

Shikhar Dhawan is glad that he could fight the initial jitters and score runs early in his international career and said he would look to maintain his blistering form. 

Ever since his international debut, Dhawan has been in rollicking form as he earned Man of the Series title in Champions Trophy in England and the Delhi Dasher said he would look to play smart cricket in future. 

"Once you score big runs at the start of your international career, you get really confident because that is one part which is really tough as every player is nervous at the start of the career," said Dhawan, who was recently appointed as captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, one of the four teams in the Champions League T20 qualifiers in Chandigarh. 

"It's good that I started off really well and I just want to continue the same form and play smart cricket so that I could be consistent. God has been kind and things have been going on really well for me and I would like to continue that way in future too," he added.

The 27-year-old left-handed batsman took over the reins of Hyderabad from regular skipper Kumar Sangakkara, who opted to play for Sri Lankan outfit Kandurata Maroons. 

Dhawan said: "It is a new challenge for me and I am really looking forward to it. I have been captain for my Delhi team. It's a great feeling to be captaining the Sunrisers team, its really an honour for me and I am looking forward to do the job." 

Every captain has a distinctive style of leadership and when asked about his method of captaincy, Dhawan said: "I am cool and aggressive; aggressive from inside and cool from outside." 

"I want my team to enjoy in the middle, love that intensity, we have already got that, so its good." Besides Hyderabad and the Maroons, the other two teams are Otago Volts from New Zealand and Faisalabad Wolves from Pakistan.

Asked about this young brigadge of captains, Dhawan said: "I guess we guys have been playing IPL for long. Then you get mature when you play for so long. 

"With time, you get new responsibilities and I feel change is good, its good time for us and good time for me to be the captain and lead from the front." 

Asked how it would be like captaining the best fast bowler Dale Steyn, Dhawan said: "It's very easy. He knows everything, for me it's not hard task.

"Everyone in the team is so professional, they know their job very well and it makes it easy for the captain. All team mates are very supportive."