In a significant turn of events in the field of cricket, Shikhar Dhawan, announced during today morning that he is retiring from domestic cricket as well as international cricket. Dhawan is one of the most celebrated batsmen of India. He is known for left-handed batting and is often the opening batter. Recently, he was the captain of Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League. Shikhar Dhawan is fondly called “Gabbar” by his fans and colleagues.
Announcing Retirement
Shikhar Dhawan took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to post the heartbreaking news of his retirement. Along with the video he wrote, “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!” In the video clip, Shikhar said, “I have come to that point in my life that when I look back, I only see memories and when I look forward, I can see the whole world. I only had one milestone, to play for India and that happened. For this, I am thankful to many people, firstly my family; my childhood coaches Tarak Sinha ji and Madan Sharma ji under whose guidance I learned cricket; my team with whom I played for years and found a family in them too; I earned fame and love from you all. As it’s said that to move ahead in the story you need to flip over the pages. I’m also doing that; I’m announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket.”
Thankful to BCCI
Shikhar added, “Now when I’m bidding adieu to my cricketing journey, I have a satisfaction that I have played a lot for my country. I’m very thankful to the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and DDCA (Delhi & District Cricket Association). I’m also thankful to my fans for all the love and support. I would say this to myself that don’t be said that you will now not play for your country but be happy that you played for your country as it is the biggest achievement for me that I played.”
Recognitions
Apart from being the quickest Indian cricketer to reach 1000, 2000 and 3000 ODI runs, he was also awarded Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in Sports and Games in 2021 by the former president of India – Ram Nath Kovind. He was awarded the Player of the Tournament India won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
Career
Dhawan was known for his explosive batting at the top. He used to grab that very momentum straightaway from the start. This has contributed to some great wins for India. Dhawan had a leading role in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy win of India where he played a significant role in winning the trophy. His success carried over into the limited-overs formats, especially in ODIs and T20Is, where he always seemed to offer India brisk starts.
Netizen’s Reaction
A fan wrote, “Thank You Mr. ICC. For dominating ODI tournaments like no one else. Happy retirement.” Another claimed that Dhawan is the man of big occasions. A netizen wrote, “Your hard work, determination, quality cricketing skills, and great human being will always be remembered; thank you, boy, for wishing you all the best for the next career ahead.” A fan bid Dhawan a happy adieu by saying, “We’ll miss your flying shots— golden 14 years year cricket career, a true warrior on and off the field! Happy retirement, King!”