Shikhar Dhawan Announces Retirement from Domestic and International Cricket
India’s opener Shikhar Dhawan has announced his retirement from international cricket. Dhawan shared a video on Saturday morning to inform his fans of his decision. Known as the “Gabbar” of Team India and “Mr. ICC” in the cricketing world, Dhawan has made significant contributions to the sport. Let’s explore why Shikhar Dhawan is referred to as Mr. ICC.
Why Is Shikhar Dhawan Called Mr. ICC?
Shikhar Dhawan is considered one of the most successful opening batsmen in world cricket. He last played for the Indian team during the 2022 tour of Bangladesh in the ODI series. In his retirement announcement video, Dhawan reflected, “Today I stand at a point where when I look back I see only memories, and when I look forward I see the whole world. It was always a goal of mine to play for India, and it has been achieved, for which I am thankful to many people.”
Dhawan earned the title of Mr. ICC due to his outstanding performances in ICC tournaments. He is the highest run-scorer in ICC ODI tournaments among players who have scored at least 1,000 runs, with an average of 65.15, surpassing Virat Kohli’s average of 64.55. Dhawan was the highest run-scorer in the 2004 U-19 World Cup and won the Man of the Tournament award.
He made his debut for Team India in 2010 and was not part of the 2011 ODI World Cup but played in the 2013 Champions Trophy-winning team. Dhawan was the highest run-scorer in the 2013 Champions Trophy and received the golden bat for his performance, scoring 363 runs in five innings. His successful opening partnership with Rohit Sharma was notable. Dhawan also performed well in the 2015 World Cup, scoring 412 runs at an average of 51.50 in 8 matches, ranking fifth in terms of highest runs scored.
Shikhar Dhawan’s International Cricket Career
Left-arm opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan made his international debut for the Indian cricket team in October 2010 during an ODI series against Australia. Over his career, Dhawan played 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is for Team India. He scored 2,315 runs in Test cricket at an average of 40.61, including 7 centuries and 5 fifties. In ODIs, Dhawan accumulated 6,793 runs at an average of 44.11, with 17 centuries and 39 fifties. In T20 Internationals, he scored 1,759 runs at an average of 27.92, including 11 fifties.
