Shikhar Dhawan has announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket with immediate effect. The left-handed batsman shared the news on social media, bidding farewell to a career spanning over 13 years with the Indian team. During his career, he played 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20 matches, scoring 2,315, 6,793, and 1,579 runs, respectively, across the three formats.
In his retirement video, Dhawan said, “In both stories and life, turning the page is important to move forward. Therefore, I am announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket.” He added, “I told myself not to be sad that I won’t play for India again, but to be happy that I got the chance to play for the country.”
The 38-year-old Dhawan played his last match for India in December 2022, an ODI against Bangladesh in Chattogram, while his final T20 match was in July 2021 in Sri Lanka. Dhawan hasn’t played a Test match for India since 2018. His last competitive appearance was in April for Punjab Kings in IPL 2024 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but his season was cut short due to injury. Dhawan expressed his gratitude to his family, his fans for their love, his childhood coaches, and the various Indian and IPL teams he played with throughout his career.
Shikhar Dhawan rose to fame by scoring 505 runs, including three centuries, in the 2004 Under-19 World Cup. Alongside Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, he was a key part of Delhi’s strong batting lineup. He was known for his strong offside play, especially his elegant cover drives and cuts. Dhawan eventually made his ODI debut for India in 2010 against Australia, but he was dismissed for a duck.
However, three years later, in March 2013, he got the chance to make his Test debut against Australia in Mohali, and unlike his ODI debut, this match was memorable. He scored the fastest century on Test debut, reaching the milestone in just 85 balls. From there, in 2013, he formed a formidable opening partnership with Rohit Sharma.
Shikhar Dhawan Memorable Innings
One of Dhawan’s most memorable innings came during the 2015 Cricket World Cup when he scored 137 runs against South Africa at the MCG, standing firm against bowlers like Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Wayne Parnell, and Vernon Philander. This performance cemented his reputation as a key player for ICC events. Dhawan began the ICC 2019 World Cup in a similar fashion, scoring a century against Australia, but a hairline fracture in his thumb forced him out of the rest of the tournament.
In his 222-match IPL career, Dhawan scored 6,769 runs and was part of the championship-winning Sunrisers Hyderabad team in 2016, where he formed a crucial partnership with David Warner. However, towards the end of the decade, his appearances on the international stage became less frequent.
Shikhar Dhawan captained India in 15 matches (12 ODIs and 3 T20s) during the IPL and the now-defunct Champions League T20, and he also led two IPL franchises—Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad—in a total of 33 matches. When he captained India, his win-loss record stood at 8-5 (with 2 no results). He led India to ODI series victories against Sri Lanka in 2021 and against West Indies and South Africa in 2022. However, in franchise tournaments, Dhawan struggled with the burden of captaincy, finishing with a record of 13 wins and 20 losses.