Ranking Shikhar Dhawan's 5 best knocks in ICC tournaments
One of India's finest ODI batters, Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket on Saturday, August 24. Having made his India debut in October 2010, the left-handed batter represents the country in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is, scoring over 10,800 international runs across formats.
Dhawan's best performances came in the ODI format. He averaged 44.11 in 50-over cricket for the Men in Blue, hitting 17 hundreds and 39 fifties. The southpaw also formed a wonderful association with Rohit Sharma at the top of the order. The duo opened together in 115 innings and scored 5,148 runs at an average of 45.55, with 18 hundred stands and 15 fifty partnerships.
The former India opener loved performing in ICC events. He played 10 matches in the ODI World Cup and scored 537 runs at an average of 53.70. In the Champions Trophy, he hammered 701 runs in 10 matches, averaging 77.88. In the wake of his retirement, we rank Dhawan's five best knocks in ICC tournaments.
#5 (125 vs SL, The Oval) - 2017 Champions Trophy
Dhawan scored 125 off 128 balls against Sri Lanka at The Oval in a group-stage match of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. The Lankans won the toss and bowled first. India put 321-6 on the board as their openers added 138 in 24.5 overs.
Dhawan struck 15 fours and a six in his knock at a strike rate of a little under a run-a-ball. He featured in a fine opening stand with Rohit, who scored 78 off 79. Dhawan's excellent knock ended at the start of the 45th over as he hit one from Lasith Malinga to long-on. His innings went in vain as Sri Lanka chased down 322 in 48.4 overs, with seven wickets in hand.
#4 (102* vs WI, The Oval) - 2013 Champions Trophy
Dhawan scored a fluent 102* off 107 balls against West Indies at The Oval in a group match of the 2013 Champions Trophy. Courtesy of the left-hander's terrific innings, Team India got home by eight wickets in 39.1 overs in a chase of 234.
Dhawan struck 10 fours and a six in his 183-minute knock and featured in another century stand with Rohit (52 off 56), adding 101 for the first wicket in 15.3 overs. The left-handed batter and Dinesh Karthik (51* off 54) added an unbroken 109 for the third wicket. Earlier, Ravindra Jadeja starred with 5-36 as West Indies were held to a disappointing total of 233-9.
#3 (114 vs SA, Cardiff) - 2013 Champions Trophy
Dhawan notched up his maiden ODI hundred in the first match of the 2013 Champions Trophy. With his knock of 114 off 94 balls, which came against South Africa in Cardiff, the left-hander announced his arrival as a white-ball batter on the international stage.
After the Proteas won the toss and decided to bowl first, India put up 331-7 on the board in their 50 overs. Dhawan led the way with a fantastic stroke-filled hundred, which featured 12 fours and a six. He added 127 for the first wicket with Rohit (65 off 81), marking the beginning of a legendary association in one-day cricket.
The centurion was the Player of the Match as India went on to win the game by 26 runs. Chasing 332, South Africa were bowled out for 305 as Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, and Jadeja picked up two wickets each.
#2 (137 vs SA, MCG) - 2015 World Cup
Dhawan went into the 2015 World Cup under some pressure, having not scored a lot of runs in the build-up to the ICC event. After warming up with 73 off 76 against Pakistan, he played a superb knock against South Africa, smashing 137 off 146 balls at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Batting first after winning the toss, India lost Rohit for a duck to a run-out. However, Dhawan was in supreme form and smacked 16 fours and two sixes in his wonderful innings. The southpaw added 127 for the second wicket with Kohli (46) and 125 for the third wicket with Ajinkya Rahane (79 off 60).
Dhawan's memorable knock ended when he miscued a pull off Wayne Parnell to long leg. India ended up putting 307-7 on the board and then rolled over the Proteas for 177, registering a thumping 130-run victory.
#1 (117 vs AUS, The Oval) - 2019 World Cup
Dhawan scored another fantastic hundred, this time against Australia at The Oval in a league match of the 2019 World Cup. The Men in Blue batted first after winning the toss in this game and the left-hander laid the platform for the team's impressive total of 352-5, smashing 117 off 109 balls.
The opener struck 16 fours in his innings and featured in another fruitful stand of 127 for the first wicket with Rohit (57 off 70). Following the latter's departure, he added 93 for the second wicket with Kohli (82 off 77). Dhawan's knock ended when he holed out to deep midwicket off Mitchell Starc. His innings ended up being instrumental in India's 36-run win.
In an interview with Hindustan Times following his retirement, the 38-year-old described this knock as his favorite in international cricket since he had fractured his thumb when he was in his 20s and took painkillers to bat on and reach a famous ton. The knock was Dhawan's last three-figure score in international cricket.