‘Man for big tournaments’ - Cricketers congratulate Shikhar Dhawan for stellar career

Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket on Saturday, August 24. The southpaw featured for Punjab Kings in IPL 2024 but a shoulder injury ruled him out of the tournament. He started well and scored 152 runs in five matches, including a half-century against Lucknow Super Giants, but could never come back. Three months after the completion of the tournament, Dhawan announced his retirement.

The southpaw took to social media to announce his decision. He stated to be at peace with the decision but at times, the cricketer tries to convince himself not to feel sad that he will not be playing for India again. Notably, the 38-year-old represented the national team in 269 international matches and scored 10,867 runs, which includes 24 centuries. 

“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. I am leaving with peace in my heart that I played for so long for India. I tell myself not to feel sad that you will not play for India anymore, but to feel happy that you played for your country,” Dhawan said in a video message.

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After his retirement announcement, many of his teammates and former cricketers congratulated Dhawan for his stellar career. Wasim Jaffer reminded his contribution to ICC tournaments and added that the Delhi-born cricketer never got the plaudits he deserves. Dhawan scored 412 runs in eight matches in the 2015 ODI World Cup and hit 125 runs in two matches before being ruled out due to injury in the 2019 edition of the tournament.

He also played a key part in helping India win the Champions Trophy in 2013. He smashed 363 runs in five matches in the tournament and finished as the leading run-scorer. Apart from being an incredible batter, Dhawan also was a terrific fielder and an entertainer, for which he has gained plenty of praise on social media.

Here's how the cricketing fraternity reacted: