"Your trademark smile will be missed.." Virat Kohli's special message on Shikhar Dhawan's retirement

Shikhar Dhawan retired from international and Indian domestic cricket.

On August 24, 2024, one of India’s best ODI openers, Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket. The 38-year-old took it to his social media handles to call time on his career, spanning over 13 years for India. 

Dhawan was last seen playing competitive cricket in April, when he captained the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League 2024. Due to an unfortunate injury, Dhawan’s 2024 season ended prematurely.

Dhawan, who made his international debut for India in 2010, retired as one of only eight ODI batters with over 5000 runs at a 40-plus average and a 90-plus strike rate.

Dhawan, who is also called as India’s ‘Mr. ICC’ retired with 24 hundreds (17 in ODIs and seven in tests) across 269 international matches. The former opener also helped the Indian cricket team lift the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. Dhawan won Player of The Tournament award at Champions Trophy 2013, where he was also the top run-getter.

Given us countless memories to cherish: Virat Kohli’s lovely message for retired Dhawan

Following Dhawan’s retirement, veteran Indian cricketer Virat Kohli wrote a heartwarming message on his social media handle ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) for just retired Dhawan.

Kohli said that Dhawan became India’s one of the most dependable openers and has given countless memories to cherish. The former Indian captain further added that Dhawan’s trademark smile will be missed.

“From your fearless debut to becoming one of India’s most dependable openers, you’ve given us countless memories to cherish. Your passion for the game, your sportsmanship and your trademark smile will be missed, but your legacy lives on. Thank you for the memories, unforgettable performances and always leading with your heart. Wishing you the best in your next innings, off the field Gabbar!,” Virat Kohli wrote on X.

Shikhar @SDhawan25 from your fearless debut to becoming one of India's most dependable openers, you've given us countless memories to cherish. Your passion for the game, your sportsmanship and your trademark smile will be missed, but your legacy lives on. Thank you for the…

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) August 25, 2024

The trio of Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, and Rohit Sharma dominated ODI cricket from 2013 to 2019. The trio hammered 30, 26 and 17 hundreds respectively in ODIs from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2019.

The trio also made 114 centuries across all three formats in international cricket from 2013 to 2019. Kohli smashed 54 centuries, Rohit hammered 36 tons, and Dhawan had 24 hundreds to his name.

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