"Loving every second" - Shikhar Dhawan thrilled to be back on the field with Legends League Cricket 2024
Veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket last month. The southpaw drew curtains on an impressive international career spanning from 2010 to 2024.
Dhawan is back on the cricket field, playing in the ongoing edition of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) 2024. The 38-year-old is captaining Gujarat Greats in the tournament.
Sharing his excitement about returning to cricketing action, Dhawan wrote in his latest Instagram post:
"The game never really leaves you. Back on the field and loving every second! 💪🏻"
Shikhar Dhawan represented India in 34 Tests, 164 ODIs, and 68 T20Is. He finished with 10,867 runs in international cricket. The left-handed batter earned the moniker of 'Mr ICC' for his brilliant performances in showpiece events.
He was the Player of the Tournament in India's title-winning campaign in the 2013 Champions Trophy, scoring 363 runs across five innings. Dhawan's last appearance in international cricket came in December 2022 in an ODI against Bangladesh, where he was dismissed for three runs.
Shikhar Dhawan and company begin their LLC 2024 campaign with 8-wicket win over Toyam Hyderabad
The Shikhar Dhawan-led Gujarat Greats took on the Toyam Hyderabad in their opening match of LLC 2024 at the Barkatullah Khan Stadium in Jodhpur on Sunday, September 22.
Hyderabad won the toss and chose to bat first. The side registered 172/7 in 20 overs, courtesy of Suresh Raina and Peter Trego's knocks of 44 and 36*, respectively.
Liam Plunkett, Manan Sharma and Seekkuge Prasanna claimed two wickets each. Gujarat chased down the target in 19.2 overs to clinch an eight-wicket victory. Morne van Wyk shone with the bat, remaining unbeaten on 113.
Dhawan failed to get going with the bat in the encounter, managing 21 runs off 20 deliveries before falling to Gurkeerat Singh. Dhawan will now be seen in action on Monday, September 23, when Gujarat face Southern Super Stars at the Barkatullah Khan Stadium, Jodhpur.