Shikhar Dhawan Announces Retirement from International Cricket in Emotional Video, Says Childhood Dream Has Been Fulfilled
Team India’s opener, Shikhar Dhawan, has announced his retirement from all three formats of international cricket. He shared this news through a video posted on social media. Dhawan played his last international match in 2022 against Bangladesh in an ODI.
Since then, he has been out of the international cricket scene. In his retirement video, Dhawan wrote, “I am closing this chapter of my cricket journey, taking with me countless memories and gratitude. Thank you for the love and support! Jai Hind…”
Shikhar Dhawan Expresses Gratitude to His Childhood Coach in Retirement Video
In a 1-minute and 17-second video, Shikhar Dhawan mentioned only the name of his childhood coach. In the video, Dhawan said, “Greetings to everyone… Today, I stand at a crossroads. When I look back, I see only memories, and when I look ahead, I see the whole world…
My sole goal was always to play for India, which I achieved. For this, I am grateful to many people, starting with my family, my childhood coach Tarak Sinha Ji… and Madan Sharma Ji, under whom I learned cricket.”
Gabbar Reflects on His Journey and Announces Retirement
In the video, Gabbar (Shikhar Dhawan) continued to speak about his experience playing for Team India. Dhawan said, “After playing in the team, I received immense love from my fans. But as they say, to move forward in a story, you have to turn the page.
That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” With these words, Shikhar Dhawan announced his decision to retire from both international and domestic cricket.
Shikhar Dhawan Finds Satisfaction in Playing for the Country
In his video message, Shikhar Dhawan expressed his satisfaction in having played cricket for the nation. Dhawan stated, “I am deeply grateful to BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and DDCA (Delhi and District Cricket Association) for giving me the opportunity, and to all the fans… I keep telling myself that there’s no need to feel sad that I won’t play for the country anymore. Instead, I should be happy that I played a lot for the country, and that’s the most important thing for me.”
Shikhar Dhawan’s International Cricket Journey
Shikhar Dhawan made his international cricket debut in 2010 during an ODI match against Australia. He made his T20 debut in 2011 against Sri Lanka and got the opportunity to play his first Test match in 2013.
Over the course of his career, Dhawan has played 34 Test matches, scoring 2,315 runs at an average of 40.61. In 167 ODI matches, he amassed 7,436 runs with an average of 44.11. In T20 cricket, he played 68 matches, scoring 1,759 runs at an average of 27.92.
Shikhar Dhawan’s IPL Journey Continues
Shikhar Dhawan has been a part of the IPL since its inaugural season. While announcing his retirement from international and domestic cricket, Dhawan did not mention whether he would continue playing in the IPL, leaving the possibility open.
He made his IPL debut in 2008, playing for Delhi against Rajasthan Royals. His most recent match was in 2024, where he played for Punjab Kings against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Unfortunately, due to an injury, Dhawan couldn’t participate in many matches during this season.
Shikhar Dhawan’s Personal Life: Marriage and Divorce
In 2012, Shikhar Dhawan married Ayesha Mukherjee, who was 10 years older than him. Ayesha already had two daughters from a previous relationship. The couple met on Facebook, where their friendship blossomed into love. They welcomed their son, Zoravar, in 2014.
However, Shikhar and Ayesha separated in 2021, with Ayesha writing about their divorce on social media. On October 4, 2023, a Delhi family court granted their divorce. The court acknowledged that Ayesha had subjected Shikhar to mental cruelty. The divorce was approved based on the fact that Ayesha either did not contest Shikhar’s allegations or failed to defend herself effectively.
