Former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan retires

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from cricket on Saturday, dropping curtains on a career in which he established himself as a prolific top-order batter.

The Delhi player made his India debut against Australia in 2010 and his last international match was against Bangladesh in December 2022, both 50-over matches, a format considered his strong suit.

“It’s important to turn the page to move forward in life and that’s why I am announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket,” the 38-year-old said in a video posted on his social media accounts.

“I’ve told myself ‘don’t feel sad that you won’t play for India anymore, but feel happy that you played for the country’.”

The left-hander smashed 24 international hundreds and particularly excelled in multi-team tournaments such as the Champions Trophy, Asia Cup and the 2015 World Cup.

His 85-ball hundred against Australia in a 2013 test was the fastest by a debutant.

Dhawan also captained India in several limited-overs series whenever regular skippers had to be rested.

In June, after India’s T20 World Cup victory, cricket icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as well as all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja had announced their retirement from T20 internationals.