File photo of Shikhar Dhawan© X (formerly Twitter)
Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from domestic and international cricket on Saturday. The left-handed batter took to social media to post an emotional message for fans where he announced his decision to retire from all forms of cricket. Dhawan last played for the Indian cricket team way back in 2022 during the ODI series against Bangladesh. However, he lost his place to Shubman Gill and other young opening batters in the past couple of years. Dhawan posted a long video message on X (formerly Twitter) to thank his fans as well as the associations for the love and support he received throughout his career.
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
"I am standing at a point where when I look back, I only see memories and a new life when I look forward. It was always my dream to play for India, and I got to live it. I am thankful to a lot of people for that. First of all, my family, my childhood coaches and then my team that I played with for so many years. I got a new family, fame and love. But it is said that to move forward, you need to flip the pages," Dhawan said in a post on 'X'.
"I am announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket. As I bid farewell to my cricketing journey, I have peace in my heart. I played a lot for my country. I only say this to myself, that you don't need to be upset about not playing for your country again, but be happy that you had the opportunity to do so," he concluded.
Dhawan appeared in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs and 68 T20Is for India.
His best came in the 50-over format in which he amassed 6793 runs at an average of 44.11. He averaged 40.61 for his 2315 Test runs.
(With agency inputs)