Shikhar Dhawan, a former opener for India, said he had lost the “inspiration” to pursue local cricket as a means of earning a spot in the national team.
Legendary opener Shikhar Dhawan of India gave an explanation for his decision to retire from all cricketing competitions, citing a lack of “inspiration” to play Indian Premier League (IPL) or domestic cricket. Speaking on the sidelines of the Legends League Cricket match, Dhawan, who retired in August at the age of 38, discussed his choice in detail.
A staple of Indian cricket, Dhawan participated in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is between 2013 and 2022, making a lasting impression on the global scene. But the voyage of the explosive opener came to an end when he discovered that the fire that had driven his long career was beginning to fade.
Dhawan stated in the interview that he didn’t want to play domestic cricket, which he began at the age of eighteen or nineteen. I didn’t feel internally motivated to play that kind of cricket.
Especially in ICC competitions, where he has the greatest average of any Indian batsman (65.15), Dhawan became well-known as one of the country’s best white-ball performers. During his incredible career, he replaced Rohit Sharma as India’s 25th ODI captain during a series against Sri Lanka in 2021. In 12 One-Day Internationals, Dhawan captained India; they won seven and lost three.
Even though Dhawan had a great time leading the team, newer players like Shubman Gill eventually overshadowed him in the international game. The conclusion of a momentous period for Indian cricket was signified by his final appearance for the country in December 2022.
Playing in 222 matches and scoring 6769 runs, including two hundreds and 51 half-centuries, Dhawan also had an amazing IPL career. Not only does he finish the tournament with the most boundaries (768), but he also makes IPL history as the first cricketer to hit consecutive hundreds.
Dhawan said that he has lost motivation in recent years to pursue his cricket career after giving his decision some thought. “I was playing IPL to IPL during the final two years of my career, instead of playing a lot of international cricket. I wasn’t playing much overall, so to speak,” he said. He began to reconsider his future in cricket as a result of his irregular participation in the sport.
Having captained Punjab Kings in the 2023 Indian Premier League, Dhawan came to the realization that training for the league for two to three months per year would not be enough to keep him competitive for a call-up to the national team. He continued, conceding that his career in professional cricket had come to an end naturally. “I believed that playing in the IPL and simply dedicating two or three months of effort would not be sufficient for me to be able to play,” he continued.
Despite these insights, Dhawan conveyed a great sense of contentment with his profession and the accomplishments he made. He remarked, “I’m really, really grateful for everything, and I’m very happy, satisfied, and content with whatever I achieved in my career.”Dhawan and Rohit Sharma forged a strong alliance at the top of the order. Dhawan is one of India’s most consistent white-ball openers. They shared 18th-century stands and collectively scored 5,193 runs at an average of 45.15 in ODIs.
Dhawan also praised Rohit Sharma’s accomplishments as a captain, especially the way he guided India to their much-needed triumph in the T20 World Cup. Dhawan continued, “He’s a great captain, and I’m so happy that he led the team and won the World Cup for our nation.” Rohit’s leadership has elevated the Indian national team.
