Following his stunning performances with Rohit and Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, who declared his retirement from international cricket on Saturday, recalled them.
Shikhar Dhawan announced on Saturday that he was retiring from both domestic and international cricket, capping an incredible international career. Dhawan has been a vital member of the Indian side since his 2010 debut, particularly in white-ball formats. Acclaimed as one of India’s best openers, Dhawan’s ODI record is particularly impressive, averaging 44.11 with 6,793 runs from 167 matches.
There was a change in Indian cricket at the time Dhawan moved up to the top of the order. The team needed continuity at the opening spots after Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag lost their spots due to poor play and Sachin Tendulkar’s white-ball retirement. It may be inferred that MS Dhoni, the skipper at the time, made a calculated decision to revive the Indian top-order by pushing Rohit Sharma to the opening position alongside Dhawan.
With Dhawan emerging as the tournament’s best run-scorer with 363 runs in five matches, this choice proved crucial and culminated in India’s successful performance at the 2013 Champions Trophy.
With Dhawan’s aggressive batting style matching Rohit’s strategy, the two of them laid a solid platform for India. Virat Kohli’s steady play at No. 3 added even more strength to the top order, and their partnership was essential to India’s numerous victories. India’s supremacy in white-ball cricket was largely defined by this trio’s powerful presence over the course of the decade.
When Dhawan looked back on his career, he recalled the times he shared the dressing room with the batting greats and thanked the coaches who were so important to his development. Dhawan expressed his gratitude for the support he received and the special moments he had in an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times.
“My career has been influenced by so many coaches. Ravi Shastri, Rahul Dravid, Vikram Rathour, Sanjay Bangar, and Duncan Fletcher. Next came the batting and fielding coaches. I am appreciative of everyone who helped me.
Together, we took part in an amazing adventure. I distinctly recall scoring 100 centuries in five years with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and myself. Back then, our coach was Ravi bhai. When I got hurt, even NCA was really helpful and understood how to handle training and recovery. Along with a heartfelt thank you to the BCCI, Dhawan stated.
A time of supremacy
In all formats combined, Dhawan, Rohit, and Kohli amassed an astounding 103 hundreds between June 2013 and June 2019. Rohit, who presently leads the Indian side in both ODIs and Tests, achieved thirty tons during this period, while Kohli dominated the century-scoring records with 49 hundreds. In these five years, Dhawan participated in 207 matches and amassed 23 hundreds and 40 fifties.
Shikhar Dhawan’s role in the Indian team started to decline following the 2019 World Cup as a result of KL Rahul’s outstanding performances and the ascent of young players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. In an ODI series against New Zealand in 2022, Dhawan made his last appearance for India.
