File photo of Shikhar Dhawan© X (formerly Twitter)
Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from domestic and international cricket on Saturday. The left-handed batsman posted an emotional message to fans on social media announcing his decision to retire from all forms of cricket. Dhawan last played for the Indian cricket team in the 2022 ODI series against Bangladesh. However, he lost his place to Shubman Gill and other young opening batsmen in the past few years. Dhawan posted a lengthy video message on X (formerly Twitter) to thank his fans and the associations for the love and support he has received throughout his career.
As I close this chapter of my cricket journey, I carry with me countless memories and gratitude. Thank you for the love and support! Jai Hind!photo.twitter.com/QKxRH55Lgx
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) August 24, 2024
“I am at a point where when I look back, all I see is 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 youth coaches and then my team that I played with for so many years. I got a new family, fame and love. But they say that to move forward, you have to turn the pages,” Dhawan said in a post on 'X'.
“I am announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket. As I retire from my cricket career, I have peace in my heart. I have played a lot for my country. I am only saying this to myself, that you should not be angry that you are not playing for your country anymore, but be happy that you had the opportunity to do so,” he concluded.
Dhawan played 34 Tests, 167 ODIs and 68 T20Is for India.
His best performance came in the 50-over format, in which he amassed 6793 runs at an average of 44.11. His average from 2315 Test runs was 40.61.
(With input from the agency)
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