Year-Ender: Indian batting stalwart Shikhar Dhawan stuns fans with retirement
What's the story
The year 2024 saw many prominent cricketers bid adieu to the game.
One of them was Indian batting stalwart Shikhar Dhawan. The southpaw announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket in August.
The 39-year-old left-handed batter took to social media to share the news in an emotional video.
He thanked childhood coaches Madan Sharma and Tarek Sinha, his family, Team India, and his fans.
Here are his stats.
Career highlights
Dhawan's impressive cricket statistics
The opener scored 2,315 runs in 34 Test matches at an average of 40.61, including seven centuries with a highest score of 190.
According to ESPNcricinfo, in ODIs, Dhawan racked up an impressive 6,793 runs in 167 matches, with a strike rate of 91.35.
He owns 17 tons and 39 fifties.
Meanwhile, in T20Is, the left-handed batter has featured in 68 matches and has scored 1,759 runs with a strike of 126.36 including 11 fifties. .
Debut records
Dhawan's debut and final apperance
In his Test debut against Australia in 2013, Dhawan had set the record for the fastest century by a debutant in Test cricket, scoring 100 runs off just 85 balls.
He then made history by recording the highest individual score by a debutant for India in Test cricket (187).
Dhawan last played Test cricket for India in 2018. Meanwhile, the 2022 ODI series against Bangladesh turned out to be his last international assignment.
Record-breaking career
Dhawan's remarkable IPL and ICC records
Across his IPL career, Dhawan featured in 222 matches for different franchises, amassing 6,769 runs—the second-most in the tournament's history.
He also holds the record for the most fours in IPL history with 768 boundaries.
The dasher was India's top run-scorer in three consecutive 50-over ICC tournaments.
Dhawan was the highest run-getter in the 2013 and 2017 editions of the Champions Trophy .
He also scored the most runs for the team in the 2015 World Cup.
Leadership legacy
Dhawan's leadership and IPL career
The former opener also made a decent mark as a captain. He even led the Indian team when the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were unavailable.
He led Team India in 15 limited-overs matches, winning eight and losing five.
Dhawan was Punjab Kings's designated skipper in his last Indian Premier League season, in 2024.
He couldn't play the entire season due to fitness issues.
IPL career
Dhawan's retirement concludes his IPL journey
Dhawan's retirement marks the conclusion of his remarkable 17-year journey in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He began his IPL career with Delhi Daredevils in 2008, scoring 340 runs in 14 games.
He then played for Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Dhawan returned to Delhi Capitals in 2019 and concluded his IPL stint with Punjab Kings from 2022 to 2024.
Career
A stunning IPL career
In an IPL career spanning for 13 long years, Dhawan debuted for the Daredevils in 2008, has since featured in 222 matches.
He owns 6,769 runs, with 2 tons, 51 half-centuries at an impressive strike rate of 127.14, including 768 boundaries and 152 sixes.
In his final season for the Punjab Kings, Dhawan featured only in 5 matches scoring 152 runs, at a strike rate of 125.62.