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Shikhar Dhawan (Source: X)
On August 24, a legendary opener for India, Shikhar Dhawan, announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket. Shikhar Dhawan last wore the Indian jersey during the ODI series against Bangladesh which was held in December 2022 before losing his place to the rising star in the Indian cricket team, Shubman Gill.
When Shikhar Dhawan took to social media to announce his retirement, he thanked his fans for their love and support throughout his journey. Shikhar Dhawan represented India for 14 years. He made his debut against Australia in the ODI at Visakhapatnam but eventually got out on a duck.
“I always had one goal in mind that was to play for India and I achieved it thanks to a lot of people. First of all my family, my childhood coach Tarak Sinha and Madan Sharma under their guidance, I learnt cricket. Then, my entire team with whom I played for years, I got another family, fame and everyone’s love and support. As it’s said that in order to move ahead in the story you need to flip over the pages. Hence, I’m also doing that. I’m announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket," said Dhawan in the video.
Watch here the video:
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
“And now when I’m bidding adieu to my cricketing journey, I have the satisfaction that I played a lot for my country. I’m really thankful to the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and DDCA (Delhi & District Cricket Association) for giving me this opportunity and all of my fans for their love and support. I just say this to myself don’t be sad that you won’t play for your country again but always be happy that you played for your country. And it’s the biggest achievement for me that I played,” he added.
Shikhar Dhawan known as 'Mr ICC'
Dhawan broke records in his Test debut on March 16, 2013, scoring the quickest century by a player on Test debut off just 85 balls. He went on to earn the coveted 'golden bat' for scoring the most runs in consecutive ICC Champions Trophy tournaments in 2013 and 2017.
Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan earned the nickname 'Mr ICC' for his outstanding achievements in ICC ODI competitions for India. Dhawan was also India's leading run scorer at the 2015 ODI World Cup. He played 167 ODIs for India, scoring 6793 runs at a 44.11 average and 91.35 strike rate, with seven hundred and five fifties.
Though he has retired from domestic and international he will continue to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Punjab Kings and will lead the side for IPL 2025.