Shikhar Dhawan reveals reason behind his retirement from cricket
Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has disclosed the motivation behind his decision to retire from international and domestic cricket last month. In an interview with PTI, the 38-year-old stated that he lacked the "inspiration" to continue playing domestic cricket as a pathway back into the national team. This revelation came during the Legends League Cricket event, which Dhawan joined post-retirement.
Reflections on his cricket journey and retirement
Dhawan expressed satisfaction with his cricketing journey, stating that he felt "very happy and satisfied and content" with what he had achieved. He acknowledged the desire to have won a World Cup, having played as a mainstay opener in the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups as well as being part of India's 2013 Champions Trophy-winning side. Despite not achieving this goal, Dhawan remains grateful for his experiences.
Journey in international cricket
Dhawan's international cricket career spanned from 2013 to 2022, during which he represented India in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is. He first donned the captain's hat for India's ODI team in June 2021 against Sri Lanka, substituting for Virat Kohli. Despite leading the country in a total of 12 matches and securing seven victories, Dhawan was replaced by younger player Shubman Gill ahead of last year's ODI World Cup.
Dhawan's IPL career and retirement decision
Dhawan last played an international match for India in December 2022. He noted a decrease in his international cricket participation over the final two years of his career, with most of his game time being during the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite this, he retired as an undisputed IPL legend after playing 222 matches and scoring a remarkable 6,769 runs.
IPL records and retirement from the league
Dhawan holds several records in the IPL, including the highest number of fours (768) by any player and being the first to score consecutive centuries in the tournament. Unlike other retired Indian players like Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Piyush Chawla, and Amit Mishra who continue to play in the IPL, Dhawan chose a different path. He was leading Punjab Kings just months before his retirement announcement.
