Shikhar Dhawan Announces Retirement from International Cricket

Shikhar Dhawan, the prominent Indian cricketer, has officially announced his retirement from international cricket. In a heartfelt message shared on the social media platform X, he expressed his gratitude as he bids farewell to both domestic and international cricket.

The 37-year-old cricketer made his debut for the Indian team in 2010. Over his 13-year career, Dhawan represented India in 34 Test matches, 167 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 68 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).

During his retirement announcement, Dhawan reflected on his journey with the Indian cricket team. He stated, “As I stand at this point, looking back, I see countless memories, and looking ahead, I see the entire world. My ultimate goal was to play for India, and I achieved that. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who supported me, including my family and my childhood coaches, Tariq Sinha and Madan Sharma. I also want to thank my team for the love and support I received throughout my career.”

Dhawan began his Test career by playing against Australia in Mohali, where he made a memorable debut. Throughout his Test journey, he played a total of 34 matches, scoring 2,315 runs at an average of 40.61, including seven centuries and five half-centuries.

In the One Day format, Dhawan played his first match in 2010 against Australia in Visakhapatnam. He accumulated a remarkable 6,793 runs in 167 matches, boasting an average of 44.11 and a strike rate of 91.35, including 17 centuries and 39 half-centuries. His T20 career yielded 1,759 runs in 68 matches.

Dhawan was also a significant contributor to the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he established himself as one of the tournament’s most successful batsmen. He scored 6,769 runs in 222 matches, making him one of the highest run-scorers in IPL history.

His last international appearance came on December 10, 2022, in a One Day match against Bangladesh, where he scored just three runs. Dhawan’s final T20 match was on July 29, 2021, against Sri Lanka where he did not score. He last played Test cricket in September 2018 against England.