Picture Credit: X
Senior India batter and one of the greats of the game of cricket, Virat Kohli penned a heartfelt post for his former teammate and veteran Indian opener, Shikhar Dhawan, who announced retirement on Saturday, August 24. Kohli, who is currently in London, spending some quality time off the field with his friends and family, took to social media to congratulate Dhawan of his career and cherish the memories the two spent together.
On Sunday, August 25, Kohli took to social media to pen some beautiful words for his former teammate, adding that his presence will be missed. The batting stalwart also hailed Dhawan as one of the most dependable openers for India, highlighting his passion, sportsmanship spirit and his “trademark smile”.
“Shikhar @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! 🏏🇮🇳,” Kohli captioned a post on X.
It is to be noted that Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan played together since their junior cricket days. Moreover, the two have been the pillars of Indian cricket in mid-2010s. Both have played 221 matches together in international cricketer and have amassed more than 20,000 runs.
Shikhar Dhawan retires from international and domestic cricket
The former India opener, Shikhar Dhawan announced retirement from international and domestic cricket in a video post on social media on Saturday, August 24. Reckoned as India’s one of the finest white-ball openers, Dhawan although announced his decision to call it quits from international and domestic cricket, but hinted on playing league cricket.
“I am standing at a point where when I look back, I only see memories and a new life when I look forward. It was always my dream to play for India, and I got to live it. I am thankful to a lot of people for that. My family, my childhood coaches and then my team that I played with for so many years. I got a new family, fame and love. But it is said that to move forward in life, you need to flip pages,” he began.
“I am announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket. As I bid farewell to my cricketing journey, I have peace in my heart. I played a lot for the country. I only say that you don't need to be upset about not playing for country again, but be happy that you had the opportunity to do so,” he further added.
The southpaw, who was nicknamed ‘Mr ICC’ after his stellar performances in ICC ODI tournaments, represented India in 167 ODIs and scored 6793 runs at an average of 44.11 and a strike rate of 91.53. He also played 68 T20Is, where he amassed 1759 runs at an average of 27.92 and a strike rate of 126.36.
