Shikhar Dhawan’s retirement honored by Sachin Tendulkar with emotional message: "Your legacy is..."

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar penned down a heartfelt message for Shikhar Dhawan after the left-hander called time on his career. He said that Southpaw's legacy is forever etched in the hearts of fans and teammates before congratulating him on his career.

One of the finest to have played for the India National Cricket Team, Shikhar Dhawan, on Saturday (24th August), announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket. The batter made the announcement through social media.

Shikhar Dhawan made his debut for the India National Cricket Team in 2010 in an ODI against Australia in Visakhapatnam. But he couldn't get his feet going initially on the international stage. But he made a return to the team in 2013 and, after that, developed himself into one of the greatest openers for the team.

Shikhar Dhawan made a great impact with the bat for the India National Cricket Team in the Champions Trophy 2013. He won Player of the Tournament as he was the leading run-getter in the event and helped India win the title by beating England in the final.

Shikhar Dhawan also set the stage on fire in the Test debut for the India National Cricket Team. The batter slammed 185 against the Australia National Cricket Team. He raced away to his century in just 85 balls with a flurry of boundaries, which was the fastest at that time.

Dhawan developed himself as one of the finest openers for India in all three formats. He, along with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, was the mainstay for the Indian batting lineup and helped the team win some of the major games in both the white ball and the red ball.

The left-hander's last appearance in international cricket was in December 2022 against Bangladesh. He endured a lean patch and then was replaced in the team by Shubman Gill. After that, he didn't feature for the side in any of the three formats.

He appeared in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is for the team. His best came in the 50-over format, where he scored 6793 runs at an average of 44.11, including 17 hundreds and 39 fifties. In the longest format of the game, he mustered 2315 runs along with seven centuries.

Dhawan also is the legend of the IPL. He has played 222 matches, scoring 6769 runs, including two hundreds and 51 half-centuries. He holds the record for most fours in the tournament with 768 boundaries in the event and is also the first to hit consecutive hundreds in the event.

Sachin Tendulkar pens down message for Shikhar Dhawan

As Shikhar Dhawan retired from international cricket, Sachin Tendulkar came up with a heartfelt message for him. The batting great highlighted the left-hander's ability to smile all the time and wished him all the best going ahead. Taking to his X account, he explained:

"The cricket field will surely miss your flamboyance, Shikhar Dhawan. Your smile, your style, and your love for the game have always been infectious. As you turn the page on your cricketing career, know that your legacy is forever etched in the hearts of fans and teammates alike. Wishing you nothing but the best in whatever comes next. Keep smiling, Shikhar!"

The cricket field will surely miss your flamboyance, @SDhawan25. Your smile, your style, and your love for the game have always been infectious. As you turn the page on your cricketing career, know that your legacy is forever etched in the hearts of fans and teammates alike.… pic.twitter.com/TR3TvbAj8w

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 24, 2024