Retirement for Shikhar Dhawan: In ODIs, cheerful Gabbar hummed along calmly and at a near-perfect speed, displaying his best self-awareness
What people will remember Dhawan most for was his exceptional knowledge of the essence of an ODI game, particularly in the latter part of his career.
Recently, an old Rohit Sharma video surfaced on that addictive mindless YouTube platform, in which he talks about how much he admired the batting of a young Shikhar Dhawan. How Dhawan, who had just played in the U-19 World Cup, was also present at NCA when he was a teenager and how his gaze was fixed on the left-hander. To put it another way, “I just wanted to see him bat, what he does, how he does,” because he had a different, “ajeeb sa” (weird) posture back then.
Soon after, we all know how Virat Kohli collapsed onto his sofa at home after realizing the difference while watching a young Rohit bat. It says a lot when another young batter around the same time dazzles Rohit like that.
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While Dhawan the ODI batsman was extremely talented and could have played for longer if it weren’t for the belief that Dhawan the T20 batsman shadowed his entire white-ball career and the fact that his age was also used as an excuse to release him, Dhawan the Test batsman may have overachieved.
Soon after, we all know how Virat Kohli collapsed onto his sofa at home after realizing the difference while watching a young Rohit bat. It says a lot when another young batter around the same time dazzles Rohit like that.
While Dhawan the ODI batsman was extremely talented and could have played for longer if it weren’t for the belief that Dhawan the T20 batsman shadowed his entire white-ball career and the fact that his age was also used as an excuse to release him, Dhawan the Test batsman may have overachieved.
Dhawan and Kohli were the batsmen that understood the essence of an ODI game the best, particularly in the latter part of Dhawan’s career. He never felt the need to overextend himself or go into periods of overattacking, just like Kohli. He was able to whistle calmly along at a rate that was almost ideal for the 50-over game. And he knew how to play the game. He learned a few additional moves throughout the years, but as his skill level increased, his body alignment became his greatest asset.
It was entertaining to observe how he moved—a shuffle here, a body twist there—and how he used his wrists and arms to deflect the ball in the locations he selected. He used his excellent understanding of what the bowler meant to do and his self-knowledge of his own abilities to maneuver the field rather than using physical force, though he did have some of that in his younger years. Most other batsmen could be seen to make an obvious effort, like Suryakumar, or to produce an extravagant flourish, like Rishabh Pant, when they hit a pacer’s ball behind square on the leg side. not in partnership with Dhawan.He would tap the ball into openings while exhibiting very little body or hand deformation.
He possessed a relentless cover drive and, when necessary, an explosive off-drive. His game had covered the bases for the 50-over game; he was always a good runner and eager to rotate the strike.
It’s not as though he struggled in the Tests. In 34 games, he averaged over 40 with seven hundreds. And that first-ever audition, which took place in March 2013 in Mohali against Australia, was the most impressive debut by an Indian in contemporary cricket. Possibly the most aggressive Test century to debut in our region of the world. A stunning 187 off 174 balls, replete with 33 fours and two sixes. On the off side, he scored over 100 runs with 19 of them coming from fours. There were only three fours and one behind square-leg, and the fact that he eventually found a method to improve that aspect of his game speaks a lot about his improvement.
But, it was discovered well in advance of the tournament that he had a rather restricted Test game, which is why he only received 34 games. His technical problems were with the moving ball. That pretty well covers his Test career averages of 27.83 in Australia, 20.28 in England, and 18 in South Africa. Strangely, the man who had waited in line to watch him bat once would go on to become a Test opener, therefore ending that aspect of his career.
He was unable to meet the rising demands of strike-rate in the T20 game, where players had to pummel during the Powerplay. He made an effort, stepping up the pace of his strolling charges down the track and contorting his body to produce more leg-side smashes, but finally the game caught up with him.
The player who will stick in your memory is Dhawan, the ODI batsman. a 91.35 strike rate on average with 17 hundreds and 39 fifties in 167 games. In ODIs on less taxing pitches, he averaged around forty in Australia, over sixty in England, and just over fifty in South Africa.
Watching Dhawan’s mind work in ODIs was enjoyable because he was at ease and didn’t feel pressured to overextend himself in the format or the conditions. He created the uppercuts, which were devoid of all flamboyance or brutality but had a utilitarian aspect to them. The walking charges were executed at the appropriate intervals rather than being overdone as they would be in T20s. A characteristic that suited his batting in general; the tale of Dhawan’s innings is not told by the shots that were included in the highlights package, but rather by the way he managed the innings in between those balls.
And his character would endure as well. His monicker, “Gabbar,” even sums it up. The anecdote was once narrated by the man who gave him the name, former India wicketkeeper and Delhi’s coach Vijay Dahiya. In a two-day Ranji Trophy match, Delhi was on the field like a hunted team, with Dhawan primarily squatting at short leg. “I hear Dhawan’s loud voice suddenly.”
In his attempt to mimic Gabbar Singh, Dhawan is yelling, “Suar ke bachoon… wicket kab aayega?!” When will a wicket fall, sons of pig? When everyone was depressed in the scenario, Dhawan’s remark cheered the team up. After that occurrence, I gave him the moniker Gabbar! He’s all bindaas now. He is a rare individual who can actually laugh at himself, which makes him a sport. “Yaar mein toh idiot jaise khela aaj,” he will remark.
Later on, he would take his game more seriously, begin keeping a journal to document his shortcomings and areas for improvement, and go through a period where his private life was made public. However, the cheerful “Gabbar” persona persisted in the public eye. Vijay, his previous opening partner, previously discussed Dhawan’s personality. Once, I would have called him Sufi. The general way he viewed life. Naturally, when things got more serious, it changed a little, but he would always try to be that way. Avoid getting too caught up in things, avoid becoming involved in politics, support his teammates, and radiate happiness around him.
