“Your trademark smile will be missed” – Virat Kohli reacts to Shikhar Dhawan’s retirement
Former India captain Virat Kohli gave a fitting tribute to erstwhile opener Shikhar Dhawan a day after his retirement. Kohli lauded Dhawan for his performances and sportsmanship. The 35-year-old praised Dhawan's jolly nature and wished him all the best for his future.
Dhawan was the first-choice opener during Kohli’s captaincy. The two players from Delhi shared a great camaraderie.
The 38-year-old announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket on Saturday, August 24. He represented Team India in 34 Tests, 167, and 68 T20Is, scoring 10,867 runs across formats, hitting 24 tons and 44 half-centuries. With 6793 runs, he is among the top 10 run-getters for the Men in Blue in ODIs.
Kohli wrote on X:
“@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 memories, unforgettable performances and always leading with your heart. Wishing you the best in your next innings, off the field Gabbar!”
Shikhar Dhawan has the highest average in ICC events, better than Virat Kohli
Shikhar Dhawan holds numerous records from his 24-year-old international career. Take a look at some of them below:
Dhawan has the highest average in ODI World Cups and Champions Trophies (minimum 1000 runs). The southpaw amassed 1238 runs in 20 innings at an average of 65.15 with the help of six centuries. The top five list comprises Virat Kohli (2324 @64.55), Saeed Anwar (1204 @63.36), Viv Richards (1013 @63.31), and Kane Williamson (1512 @63).
With 187 runs against Australia, Dhawan has the highest individual score by an Indian debutant in Test cricket. He scored an 85-ball century, the fastest on debut.
During his stellar career, Dhawan shared 18 century partnerships with Rohit Sharma. The duo were only behind Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly (21 tons).
Dhawan and Rohit’s 5148 partnership tally is the fourth highest among all opening pairs, next only after Tendulkar-Ganguly, Adam Gilchrist-Matthew Hayden, Gordon Greenidge-Desmond Haynes. The Delhi batter is among only 10 batters to have scored a century in his 100th ODI.
In the IPL, Shikhar Dhawan finished as the second-highest runscorer with 6769 runs in 222 games, only behind Virat Kohli (8004 in 252 matches).