In his illustrious career, Dhawan had no trouble scoring runs with his bat. He represented India in all formats, but his forte was the ODI | Photo: Wikipedia
Veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket two years after he last donned the national jersey, saying he leaves the scene a contented man after representing the country in all three formats.
The 38-year-old made his international debut in 2010 in an ODI against Australia in Visakhapatnam and his last match for India was also a 50-overs match, against Bangladesh in 2022.
“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!” Dhawan said in a post on ‘X’.
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! image.twitter.com/QKxRH55Lgx— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) August 24, 2024
“It is important to turn the page to move forward in life and that is why I am announcing my retirement from domestic and international cricket. As I bid farewell to my cricketing career, I have peace in my heart for having played for so long,” he said.
Dhawan appeared in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs and 68 T20Is for India but had fallen out of favour in recent years due to his inconsistent form and the emergence of younger opening talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.
His best performance came in the 50 overs format, in which he amassed 6793 runs at an average of 44.11, including 17 hundreds and 39 fifties. He averaged 40.61 in his 2315 Test runs, which included seven centuries.
“I am at a point in my life where when I look back, I see only memories and when I look forward, I see a new world. I had only one goal in life, to play for India, and I made it a reality,” he said.
“I am very thankful to the DDCA (Delhi and Districts Cricket Association), the BCCI and my fans. And that’s why I tell myself: don’t be sad that I won’t be playing for India again, but be happy that I played for your country. And that’s the most important thing for me, that I played,” he said in his final comments on the social media post.
At his peak, the Delhi swordsman was a sight to behold for his variety of strikes and ability to hit with power.
He is a true IPL legend, having appeared in 222 matches, in which he scored 6769 runs, including two hundreds and 51 half-centuries.
His 768 fours in the tournament are the highest by any batsman and he also has the distinction of being the first to hit consecutive hundreds in the event.
He was part of the title-winning Sunrisers Hyderabad team in the 2016 season. He has also played for Delhi, Mumbai and Punjab. Of these, he captained both Delhi and Punjab at various stages of his career.
He had appeared for Punjab this season but played only in five matches due to fitness problems.
First published: August 24, 2024 | 8:23 a.m. IS
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