New Delhi: In an emotion post on social media, Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from domestic and international cricket on Saturday. The left-handed batter last played for the Indian cricket team in 2022 during the ODI series against Bangladesh.
In the recent years, he lost his place to Shubman Gill and other young opening batsmen. In a long video post on X (formerly twitter), Dhawan thanked his fans as well as the associations for the love and overwhelming support he had received throughout his career.
As I close this chapter of my cricketing journey, I carry with me countless memories and gratitude. Thank you for the love and support! Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/QKxRH55Lgx
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) August 24, 2024
“I am standing at a such a juncture in my life when I look back only to see memories and a new life when I look forward. It had always been my dream to play for India, and I got to live it. I am thankful to a lot of people for that. First of all, my family, my childhood coaches and then my team that I played with for so many years. I got a new family, fame and love. But it is said that to move forward, you need to flip the pages,” Dhawan said in a post on ‘X’.
“I am announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket. As I bid farewell to my cricketing journey, I have peace in my heart. I played a lot for my country. I only say this to myself, that you don’t need to be upset about not playing for your country again, but be happy that you had the opportunity to do so,” he added.
Dhawan had played 34 Tests, 167 ODIs and 68 T20Is for India. His best performance came in the 50-over format as he amassed 6793 runs at an average of 44.11. He averaged 40.61 for his 2315 Test runs.
Happy retirement, Jatta! Stay as jolly as you always are. ❤️ #shikardhawan pic.twitter.com/qtHl3fuGEJ
— Prayag (@theprayagtiwari) August 24, 2024
Career Highs
An 85-ball hundred against Australia in Mohali in 2013, the fastest by a debutant. He scored 187 in a match-winning effort in the same match.
In 2013, he made 1162 runs in 26 ODIs at an average of 50.52 and a strike rate of 97.89.
He made 363 runs in five innings, including two centuries, contributing to India’s title-winning run at the 2013 Champions Trophy. It was his first ODI series.
His opening partnership with Rohit is the fourth-best among ODI openers in India.
Dhawan’s 187 is still the highest score by an India batter on Test debut
He was the highest scorer for India in Asia Cup 2014, World Cup 2015, Champions Trophy 2017 and Asia Cup 2018
He represented Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings in the IPL, where he is the second-highest run-getter behind Kohli with 6769 runs in 222 matches at a strike rate of 127.14
