Veteran Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan hints at retirement from professional cricket

The 38-year-old Shikhar Dhawan last played for India in December 2022.

Senior India cricketer and Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) captain Shikhar Dhawan has admitted that he is “going through a transition” in his life where his professional career is about to conclude and a “new chapter” will start.

Dhawan, who last played for India in December 2022, featured in only five matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season as a shoulder injury cut short his tournament. In five innings, he scored 152 runs at a strike rate of only 125. PBKS lost three of their first five matches.

Dhawan suffered a shoulder injury on 9th April in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Initially, the left-hander was ruled out only for a week, but he didn’t play a single game for the rest of the season as he failed to recover.

Speaking with ANI, Shikhar Dhawan said, “Unfortunately, I got injured this IPL season and could not play for Punjab except for 4-5 matches. It takes time to recover. I am still healing. I have not recovered 100 per cent yet.”

In Dhawan’s absence, Sam Curran and Jitesh Sharma led Punjab in their last nine league phase matches. Punjab had another disappointing season as they finished at the ninth position in the points table, having managed only five wins.

Shikhar Dhawan accepts his time to hang the boots is coming near

The 38-year-old admitted that he is at the age where he won’t be able to play top-level cricket for long and is already in a “transition” period.

Dhawan added, “I am also going through a transition jahan meri cricket vishram pe aayegi (a point will come when my cricket career will come to a conclusion) and a new chapter in my life will start. You only have a certain age till you can play. It could be one year more, two years more, or xyz for me.”

Dhawan featured in 269 international games for India, amassing 10,867 runs. The left-handed opener notched up 24 international centuries and was a significant contributor to India’s victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.

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