'I am at peace': Shikhar Dhawan retires from all forms of cricket

Veteran India opener Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from all forms of cricket two years after he last donned the national jersey, saying that he leaves the scene a content man after representing the country in all three formats.

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The 38-year-old made his international debut in 2010 in an ODI against Australia in Visakhapatnam and his last India game was also a 50-over match, against Bangladesh in 2022.

"As I close this chapter of my cricketing journey, I carry with me countless memories and gratitude. Thank you for the love and support! Jai Hind!," Dhawan said in a post on X.

"It's important to turn the page to move forward in life and that's why I am announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket.

As I bid goodbye to my cricket journey, I have peace in my heart that I played for so long," he said.

A product of Sonnet Club and a fighter from West Delhi, Dhawan appeared in 34 Tests, 167 ODIS and 68 T20Is for India but had fallen out of favour in the last couple of years due to patchy form and emergence of younger opening talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.

His best came in the 50-over format in which he amassed 6793 runs at an average of 44.11, including 17 hundreds and 39 fifties. He averaged 40.61 for his 2315 Test runs, which featured seven centuries. “I am standing at a point in my life where when I look back, I see only memories, and when I look ahead, I see a new world. I had just one goal in life, to play for India, and I made it happen,” he said.