Shikhar Dhawan has immediately announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket. The left-handed batsman took to social media to bring down the curtain on a career that spanned over 13 years, representing India in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is. Over his career, Dhawan amassed 2315 runs in Tests, 6793 runs in ODIs, and 1579 runs in T20Is, reports Live Cricket Score.
In a heartfelt retirement video, Dhawan shared, “It’s important to turn the page to move forward in a story and life. That’s why I am announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket. I’ve told myself not to feel sad about not playing for India again but grateful for having had the chance to play for my country.”
The 38-year-old cricketer played his final match for India in December 2022 against Bangladesh in Chattogram. His last T20I appearance came in Sri Lanka in July 2021. Dhawan hasn’t played a Test match for India since 2018. His last competitive game was with the Punjab Kings in the IPL 2024 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in April, which was cut short due to injury.
Dhawan expressed his gratitude to his family, fans, childhood coaches, and the various Indian and IPL teams he has played for throughout his career.
He first garnered attention in the 2004 U-19 World Cup, scoring three centuries and accumulating 505 runs. Dhawan was part of a formidable Delhi batting lineup alongside Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. Known for his elegant offside play, including his stylish cover drives and cuts, Dhawan made his ODI debut for India in 2010 against Australia, though he was out for a duck.
However, his Test debut in March 2013 against Australia at Mohali was unforgettable, as he smashed the fastest century on debut in just 85 balls. That year, Dhawan forged a strong opening partnership with Rohit Sharma and played a crucial role in India’s Champions Trophy victory in England, scoring 363 runs, including two centuries.
One of Dhawan’s standout performances came with his 137 against South Africa in the 2015 Cricket World Cup at the MCG, where he dominated bowlers like Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn. Known as a big performer in ICC events, Dhawan started the 2019 World Cup with a century against Australia but was sidelined for the remainder of the tournament due to a thumb fracture.
In his IPL career, Dhawan scored 6,769 runs across 222 games and was part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s championship-winning squad in 2016, where he formed a critical partnership with David Warner. However, his international appearances dwindled in recent years.
Dhawan also captained India in 15 matches (12 ODIs and 3 T20Is) and led two IPL franchises, Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, in 33 games across the IPL and the Champions League T20. He had a win-loss record of 8-5 (2 no-results) in international captaincy, guiding India to ODI series wins against Sri Lanka in 2021 and West Indies and South Africa in 2022. Despite his leadership stints, Dhawan faced challenges in franchise captaincy with a record of 13 wins and 20 defeats.
