Shikhar Dhawan officially joins a new team after retiring from Indian cricket

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan is all set to play in the upcoming season of the Nepal Premier League (NPL). Dhawan has signed for Karnali Yaks and will represent this team in the tournament.

The Nepal Premier League will be played from November 30 to December 21. It will be the inaugural season of the tournament which will witness a total of eight teams. The tournament will be conducted by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN).

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Shikhar Dhawan to play for Karnali Yaks

Shikhar Dhawan will be playing for Karnali Yaks in the inaugural edition of NPL. The franchise expressed its happiness on signing the star Indian opener and welcomed him with open arms.

"Welcoming the one and only Gabbar, our Jattji, to Karnali Yaks! Mr. Shikhar Dhawan, known for his aggressive batting style and unmatched dominance, joins Karnali Yaks to play NPL. The 2nd highest run-scorer in IPL and a true game-changer - get ready for some unforgettable action!," Karnali Yaks posted on X (formerly Twitter).

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐫, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐉𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐉𝐢, 𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐘𝐚𝐤𝐬!

𝐌𝐫. 𝐈𝐂𝐂, 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐫 𝐃𝐡𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐧, 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞,… pic.twitter.com/eLvum1jlET

— Karnali Yaks (@KarnaliYaks) November 14, 2024

Dhawan is currently the second-highest-run scorer in the Indian Premier League (IPL), after Virat Kohli. Dhawan played 222 matches in his IPL career and scored 6769 runs at an average of 35.25 and a strike rate of 127.24 with two hundreds and 51 fifties.

The left-hander last played for Punjab Kings in the IPL and was the captain of the team as well. He was consistent for most part of his IPL career but the last few years were hampered due to injury.

Nepal Premier League welcomes Shikhar Dhawan

Meanwhile, the official account of the Nepal Premier League also posted a tweet welcoming Shikhar Dhawan to the tournament. The tournament is delighted to have an international player of the quality of Dhawan.

“Gabbar is here to run wild with the Yaks! A champion with countless records is ready to bring his international flair to Karnali Yaks!” the NPL posted on X.

Gabbar is here to run wild with the Yaks! 🔥⚡️

A champion with countless records is ready to bring his international flair to Karnali Yaks! 💪#NPLT20 | #NepalCricket pic.twitter.com/sQD2t8m6I6

— Nepal Premier League (@OfficialNPLT20) November 14, 2024

Shikhar Dhawan's international numbers

Dhawan played in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is for India. He was at his best in ODIs where he was a clear match-winner for India for a long time. The 38-year-old scored 6793 runs at an average of 44.11 and a strike rate of 91.35 with 17 hundreds and 39 fifties.

Dhawan played his last international match against Bangladesh in December 2022. He announced his retirement from all formats of cricket in August this year, thus marking an end to a fantastic career.