Shikhar Dhawan, one of the most consistent and successful white-ball openers in Indian cricket history, has finally shared the emotional moment when he realized his time in international cricket was almost over.
Shikhar Dhawan had announced his retirement from all forms of the game on August 24, 2024, through social media by stating that he was at peace with his decision.
Almost one year after calling time on his celebrated career, Dhawan opened up about the turning point that came during an ODI match against Bangladesh in Chattogram, when the young Indian opener Ishan Kishan stole the spotlight with a jaw-dropping double century.
Shikhar Dhawan reveals the moment he knew his India career was over
In that match, Shikhar Dhawan and Kishan opened the innings for India in the absence of captain Rohit Sharma. While the left-handed seasoned opener managed just 3 runs, Kishan exploded with an unforgettable 210 off just 131 balls, laced with 24 fours and 10 sixes against Bangladesh.
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The difference between the two knocks was impossible to ignore, and Dhawan sensed that his time was over in the Indian jersey. However, the former Indian opener had been consistently contributing scores in the 50s and 70s, but he couldn’t reach the three-figure mark lately during that period.
When Ishan Kishan scored that 200, my instinct told me that this can be the end of his career: Shikhar Dhawan
And when Kishan made history with his double century in Bangladesh, Gabbar felt a strong instinct that his international journey was nearing its end, and that game turned out to be his last appearance in the Indian jersey. Despite the heartbreaking moment, he found peace with the situation.
Shikhar Dhawan was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times, “I was scoring lots of 50s; I didn’t score a 100, but I scored lots of 70s. When Ishan Kishan scored that 200, my instinct told me, Alright, boy, this can be the end of your career. An inner voice came to me. And that’s what happened. Then I remember my friends came over to, you know, give me that emotional support. They thought that I would be very down. But I was chilling; I was enjoying it.”
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Shikhar Dhawan admits Shubman Gill’s consistency across formats edged him out of India’s ODI Picture
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill’s rapid rise across formats also pushed Dhawan away from India’s ODI plans ahead of the 2023 World Cup. Despite his strong record in ICC events and ODIs, the 39-year-old admitted that it was hard to stay in the mix when he was only playing ODIs while Gill was impressing consistently in Tests and T20I cricket as well.
Dhawan added, “Now there is one angle of seeing it that way. Another angle is that at the time, Shubman Gill was doing very well in T20s and Tests as well. Now I am not in the picture that much. I only come for ODIs. But the other player is doing so well, and he is in front of the coaches more. He is creating his own aura or own environment authentically, organically.”
On the other hand, Dhawan’s T20I journey took a hit when he was left out of India’s squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup. However, the former opener had already sensed the snub coming, but he chose not to question the decision, and later, he captained a second-string Indian side on the Sri Lanka tour, which turned out to be his final appearance in T20I cricket.
