Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has officially retired from international cricket, announcing the news in a social media post on Saturday morning after a 14-year career.
Dhawan, who last played in April as the captain of the Punjab Kings in the IPL, leaves behind a notable legacy with 24 international centuries—17 in ODIs and seven in Tests—across 269 matches.
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In an emotional video posted on social media, Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from both international and domestic cricket, stating, “It’s important to turn the page to move forward in life. I am retiring with peace in my heart, knowing I served India for so long. I choose to be happy about my contributions rather than sad about not playing for India anymore.”
Dhawan retires as one of the modern greats in ODI cricket, joining an elite group of eight players to score over 5,000 runs in the format with a 40-plus average and a 90-plus strike rate, alongside Indians Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. His final appearance for India was in the ODI series against Bangladesh in December 2022.
Although Dhawan made significant contributions across all formats, his ODI achievements stand out the most. He made an immediate impact with a record-breaking century in his Test debut against Australia and continued to shine, scoring 1,162 runs in ODIs during 2013 at an average of 50.52 and a strike rate of 97.89. His performance in the Champions Trophy that year, where he was the top run-scorer with 363 runs, helped India secure the title and marked the start of a successful partnership with Rohit Sharma. Their ODI partnership ranks fourth in run aggregates and is the second most successful for India after Tendulkar and Ganguly.
Dhawan’s form continued beyond the Champions Trophy, making significant contributions in major ODI tournaments like the Asia Cup 2014, World Cup 2015, Champions Trophy 2017, and Asia Cup 2018. Despite a setback in 2019 when a thumb injury forced him out of the World Cup, Dhawan’s impact was recognized with short captaincy stints, leading India’s second-string teams.
In the IPL, Dhawan played for teams such as Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Punjab Kings, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the league’s history with 6,769 runs in 221 innings at a strike rate of 127.14, behind Virat Kohli.
Domestically, Dhawan was a crucial player for Delhi’s Ranji Trophy-winning team in 2007-08 and was the top run-scorer for India at the 2004 Under-19 World Cup.
