Glancing at the Arabian Sea overlooking his room at a five-star hotel in Mumbai, Shikhar Dhawan spreads his arms in his signature style. Perhaps 'Gabbar' is imagining that he's just hit a hundred in front of a packed stadium. In a year which is packed with overseas challenges for the Indian team, one would hope that this 'image' keeps repeating itself, because, as India skipper Virat Kohli once said: "When Shikhar fires, he keeps coming at you."

Relaxing with his wife Ayesha Mukherjee a few hours before the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards, Dhawan looked like shaking off the after-effects of being part of a rigorous IPL campaign for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who lost to Chennai Super Kings in the final at the Wankhede on Sunday. In an exclusive interview to TOI, the 32-year-old claimed that since he was a 'late entrant into the Indian team,' he was still hungry to achieve more.

Excerpts...

How would you sum up the Sunrisers' IPL campaign this time?

It was good. We lost our captain (David Warner) before the tournament began. Then Kane Williamson came along and he had a wonderful season. He's a good captain. I had a good season too. We played in the final, though the result didn't go our way. Overall, we played good cricket and enjoyed the season.

How much of a setback was losing Warner before ball one this season? When he was ruled out, did you expect to be given the captaincy?

Of course, it was a huge setback to lose Warner. He's such a big player. My name was being discussed by people about captaincy, but the (SRH) management thought that Kane was the right choice. That's normal. Williamson is an experienced captain. He's calm, and took the team along, like a family. He's amazing, and he led from the front.

You must have played a lot of Rashid Khan in the Sunrisers nets. How do you see the threat in the Test match against Afghanistan?

Of course. When I played him for the first time, I found him tough to deal with. However, now I'm used to playing him. If I play (in the XI), it'll be a good challenge to play against him. I'll look forward to scoring runs off him!

With Murali Vijay and KL Rahul around, you're never sure of your place in the Test side. How difficult is it to compete with such quality batsmen for a spot in the side?

There's always pressure. There's pressure to retain your spot in every team. It's a good thing for Indian cricket that there's so much competition (for the opening slot). All three of us are experienced. Rahul has done so well in the IPL, and in the (Test) series against Australia before that.

You have a decent pace attack now. Do you think that you'll do well in England this time?

Yes, our team is experienced. Our bowlers are fit. Bhuvneshwar (Kumar) has been rested for the Test against Afghanistan, so he'll be fresh for England. We have other quality bowlers too. So, our bowling and batting both are good. Of course, the English wickets offer a different challenge. The faster we adapt to English conditions, the better it will be. We have to be good in all the departments, and that includes slip catching as well. England is a formidable side at home. We've to play exceptional cricket to beat them.

Your last tour to England (in 2014) wasn't great. You were dropped after failing in the first two Tests. Are you looking to set the record straight this time?

Absolutely. That tour wasn't great, but I learnt a lot from that. Now, I'm going to play in England after four years. I've gained a lot of experience in this period. I'm a better player than what I was the first time. I'm confident that this time, I'll do well by the grace of God. Hopefully, things will go my way.

Are you hopeful that your captain, Virat Kohli, too will do well in England, unlike the last time?

Of course. The good thing is that all our batsmen are technically sound. They all have a burning desire (to do well). Sab ladke dil se khelte hain (everyone plays with passion). Everyone tries to do well. I don't think anyone wouldn't want to do well. Everyone wants to be a hero of a match, and God willing, that will happen.

In South Africa, you were dropped after failing in the first Test. How frustrating was that?

That's part of the game. The (team) management would have felt that KL was a better option than me at that moment. Of course, it was hard (on me) at that point, but you have to take it in your stride and keep working. So, when I was dropped, I was working on my fitness and in the nets. When I got a chance in the ODIs, I did well. I was happy at the end of the day.

You have a fantastic One-day record, but do you think you can do better in Test cricket?

Of course. It's not that my Test record is bad presently. I have an average of 42, and I've played Tests consistently for the last four-five years. I hope in my journey ahead from here, I improve my Test record. According to me, an average of 42 is also good. Maybe, it isn't for you! In the ODIs, my average is 44-45, so 42 is good. Till now, I have played only 20-30 Tests, so it takes time. Everything takes time. Of course, I could have done well. I did my best. Sometimes it worked for me, sometimes it didn't. Now with more experience, I am sure that things are going to go my way more.

How do you manage to raise your game and deliver so consistently in the big tournaments, be it World Cup or the Champions Trophy?

See, I am a big believer in process. I have the same attitude even if I play here, or in an ICC tournament. Naturally, my records have been good in ICC events, but it's not like that I play there with a different attitude. I play with the same attitude, same way, whether I play in the IPL or the Ranji Trophy or for the Indian team.

You wife wasn't keeping too well in recent times? How tough has this phase been for you in that sense?

I knew that she was to be operated, so I wanted to be there (last year). And I was there for her. At that particular moment, I felt that was more important than cricket. It's not like I don't value cricket, but at that moment it was necessary for me to be there for my wife, so I chose to do that. Of course I missed playing then, but then when I came back, I started playing again.

Who's your favorite batsman in international cricket?

AB de Villiers. He's a great batsman and more than that he's a gem of a person too. A great leader. I have learnt a lot of things by just watching him. I'm happy that I played against him.

Any targets that you have set for yourself?

Nothing as such. There's a lot of cricket left in me now. I want to do better and better for me, and for the country. I want to keep playing for as long as I can, because I made it to the Indian team late in my career. I still have that passion within me. I know I can achieve a lot more. I want to make up for that lost time. Meri bhook abhi baaki hai (I'm still hungry for more success).