Has Shikhar Dhawan Retired from International Cricket?

Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan hasn’t played international cricket for almost four months now but continues to make his presence felt in the ongoing 16th season of the Indian Premier League.

Opening the batting with Prabhsimran Singh (60) in IPL 2023 Match 8 against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati tonight, Dhawan readily played the role of a second-fiddle in a 58-ball 90-run opening stand. With Singh hitting seven fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 176,47, all Dhawan appeared interested in in the powerplay was providing the strike to his partner.

Having scored 27 (25) with the help of three fours in the first half of their innings, Dhawan changed gears exceptionally well to score 59 (31) including six fours and three sixes in the second half. The aggressive and innovative intent with which the 37-year old player played around an inconsistent middle-order was a primary reason why Kings managed to put 197/4 in 20 overs on board.

In terms of improvising, the crowning point of the left-handed batter’s knock had come in the death overs when he hit sixes off RR all-rounder Jason Holder and pacer KM Asif. While Dhawan played a reverse-sweep against Holder in the 18th over, he scooped Asif over fine leg for a six in the penultimate over of the innings.

Dhawan, who has been part of every IPL season since its beginning, scored his 66th T20 half-century on Wednesday. Readers must note that the same was also his 48th IPL half-century, seventh against Royals and first at this stadium.

Has Shikhar Dhawan Retired from International Cricket?

No, Shikhar Dhawan hasn’t retired from international cricket. Dhawan, who led India in regular captain Rohit Sharma’s absence in the last year or so, has been playing only ODIs for some time now.

It was ahead of a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this year that Dhawan was dropped from the ODI squad. Two reasons behind Dhawan facing the axe from the national squad are his own form and batter Shubman Gill‘s exponential rise as an international cricketer.

Dhawan, who hasn’t scored an ODI century since ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, will have to do something extraordinary to be in contention for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Taking into consideration his age, making a national comeback amid cut-throat competition among top-order batters is going to be extremely hard for the southpaw.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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