Shikhar Dhawan, one of India’s most successful white-ball openers, has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 38. While stepping away from representing India, Dhawan hinted that he might continue playing in league cricket, particularly in the IPL. Dhawan’s last appearance for India was in an ODI against Bangladesh in December 2022. Over his career, he amassed 10,867 runs in 269 matches, including 24 centuries and 44 fifties, solidifying his place as a key figure in Indian cricket over the past decade.
Dhawan shared his thoughts on his retirement in an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, stating, “It’s not like it’s a tough decision for me. I’m not even emotional. I don’t want to cry or anything. But mostly, it’s gratitude and love. I’ve spent most of my life playing cricket, and I feel I’ve reached a stage where I want to rest now – from international and domestic.”
Dhawan first gained attention during the 2004 U-19 World Cup, where he scored three centuries and a total of 505 runs. Despite making his ODI debut in 2010 against Australia, where he was dismissed for a duck, it wasn’t until the 2013 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia that Dhawan truly made his mark, scoring the fastest century on Test debut, reaching 100 off just 85 balls.
Reflecting on his career, Dhawan remarked, “My Test debut is my personal favourite. I came into the team and made that record. I scored 187. I always used to dream of playing for India and making world records. I wasn’t even aware of the world record. I was just happy to cement my place in the Test team.”
Dhawan’s stellar Test debut led to his return to the ODI squad. In the 2013 Champions Trophy, he formed a new opening partnership with Rohit Sharma under MS Dhoni’s captaincy. Dhawan’s back-to-back centuries against South Africa and the West Indies were pivotal in India’s title-winning campaign, where he scored 363 runs and was named Player of the Tournament.
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Renowned for his performances in ICC tournaments, Dhawan was India’s top scorer in the 2015 World Cup, with 412 runs from eight matches at an average of 51.5. His century against South Africa, a commanding 137, is often regarded as one of his finest innings. Dhawan continued his impressive form in the 2017 Champions Trophy, where he added 338 more runs to his tally. Alongside Rohit Sharma, Dhawan became part of India’s second-most successful ODI opening pair after Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. Their partnership yielded 5148 runs from 115 innings, with 18 centuries, making them the fourth-highest opening duo of all time.