NEW DELHI: Veteran cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has decided to hang up his boots by announcing his retirement from domestic and international cricket on Saturday, August 24.
The dashing left-handed opener last played for India in the ODI series against Bangladesh in December 2022 before Shubman Gill replaced him.
The 38-year-old posted a long video message for his fans on his social media handles thanking them for their unwavering love and support through thick and thin.
The former Indian cricketer, hailing from Delhi, made his international debut against Australia during an ODI in Visakhapatnam. His first knock for the 'Men in Blue' ended in disappointment as he got dismissed for a two-ball duck.
However, after initial setbacks, Dhawan made a thumping return to the Indian team in 2013 and cemented his place across all three formats through impressive performances.
"I had always dreamt of playing for India and a lot of people supported me in achieving my goal. I am grateful to my family, my childhood coach Tarak Sinha and Madan Sharma, under whose guidance I learnt cricket. I would also like to thank my entire team with whom I played for years, got another family, fame and everyone’s love and support. I'm flipping over the pages by announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket and starting a new chapter in my journey," said Dhawan in the video.
“And now when I’m bidding adieu to my cricketing journey, I have the satisfaction that I played a lot for my country. I’m really thankful to the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and DDCA (Delhi & District Cricket Association) for giving me this opportunity and all of my fans for their love and support. I just say this to myself that don’t be sad that you won’t play for your country again but always be happy that you played for your country. And it’s the biggest achievement for me that I played,” he added.
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