Batting great Sachin Tendulkar has penned a heartfelt message for Shikhar Dhawan after the left-hander bid adieu to his career. He said that Southpaw’s legacy is forever etched in the hearts of fans and teammates before congratulating him on his career.
Shikhar Dhawan, one of the finest players to have played for the Indian national cricket team, on Saturday (August 24) announced his retirement from domestic and international cricket. The batsman made the announcement via social media.
Shikhar Dhawan made his debut for the Indian national cricket team in 2010 in an ODI against Australia in Visakhapatnam. However, he was unable to take off at the international stage initially. However, he returned to the team in 2013 and after that, he became one of the best openers in the team.
Shikhar Dhawan made a huge impact with the bat for the Indian National Cricket Team in the 2013 Champions Trophy. He won the Player of the Tournament award as he was the leading run-scorer of the event and helped India win the title by beating England in the final.
Shikhar Dhawan also set the stage on fire on the Indian National Cricket Team’s Test debut. The batsman scored 185 against the Australian National Cricket Team. He reached his century in just 85 balls with a flurry of boundaries, which was the fastest at that time.
Dhawan emerged as one of India’s best openers across all three formats. Along with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, he was the mainstay of the Indian batting line-up and helped the team win some of the most important matches in both the white-ball and red-ball.
The left-hander’s last appearance in international cricket was in December 2022 against Bangladesh. He went through a poor run of form and was later replaced in the team by Shubman Gill. After that, he did not feature in any of the three formats.
He played in 34 Test matches, 167 ODIs and 68 T20Is for the team. His best performance came in the 50 overs format where he scored 6793 runs at an average of 44.11 including 17 hundreds and 39 fifties. In the longest format of the game, he amassed 2315 runs along with seven centuries.
Dhawan is also an IPL legend. He has played 222 matches, scoring 6769 runs, including two hundreds and 51 half-centuries. He holds the record for most fours in the tournament with 768 boundaries in the event and is also the first to score consecutive hundreds in the event.
Sachin Tendulkar writes a message for Shikhar Dhawan
When Shikhar Dhawan retired from international cricket, Sachin Tendulkar sent him a heartfelt message. The great batsman praised the left-hander’s ability to smile all the time and wished him all the best for the future. On his X account, he explained:
“The cricket field will surely miss your flamboyance, Shikhar Dhawan. Your smile, your flair and your love for the game have always been infectious. As you turn the page on your cricketing career, know that your legacy will forever be etched in the hearts of fans and your teammates alike. I wish you all the best in whatever lies ahead. Keep smiling, Shikhar!”
The cricket field will surely miss your extravagance, @SDhawan25Your smile, your style and your love for the game have always been infectious. As you turn the page on your cricketing career, know that your legacy will forever be etched in the hearts of fans and your teammates alike. photo.twitter.com/TR3TvbAj8w
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 24, 2024
