Sunil Gavaskar reveals colossal reason behind Shikhar Dhawan's retirement

Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has paid rich tribute to Shikhar Dhawan after his retirement from all forms of the game. He mentioned that Dhawan’s retirement from cricket is a big loss for the game, saying it left “the sport poorer than before.”

Dhawan, known for his infectious positivity and consistent performances, recently announced his retirement from both domestic and international cricket, marking the end of an illustrious career that began with his international debut in 2010.

Throughout his career, the dashing left-hander became famous for his graceful strokeplay and ability to deliver under pressure, particularly in ICC tournaments, which earned him the nickname ‘Mr. ICC.’

Sunil Gavaskar pays rich tribute to Shikhar Dhawan after his retirement

His performances in ODI cricket were especially remarkable, as he established himself as one of India's most reliable opening batters in the format. He finished his career with more than 10,000 runs across the formats for India.

However, as time went on, Dhawan's career faced challenges. Injuries and a dip in form, along with the emergence of younger talent, led to his gradual exit from the Indian cricket team.

Despite these setbacks, Dhawan's contributions to Indian cricket remained significant, and his retirement marked the departure of a beloved figure in the game.

Reflecting on Dhawan's career, the former Indian captain emphasized the difficulties that often accompany an opener's journey, where even a few lean performances can result in being dropped.

For Shikhar Dhawan, injuries became a recurring obstacle in the past few years, limiting his ability to fully showcase his talent in white-ball cricket. However, Sunil Gavaskar acknowledged that Dhawan's decision to retire was likely influenced by injuries.

Sunil Gavaskar also noted that the former opener might have also wanted to end his career while enjoying the game.

As Dhawan steps away from the game, his legacy as one of India's finest opening batters remains undamaged, but his absence will undoubtedly be felt by fans and the cricket world, said the legendary batter.

Dhawan's retirement leaves cricket 'poorer': Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar: “Shikhar Dhawan’s retirement from all forms of the game is going to leave the sport poorer than before. The ever-smiling, ever-positive Shikhar, also fondly called ‘Gabbar’, was a player of enormous talent.”

He further added, “But as befalls opening batters, a lean series or tournament can mean the selectors wielding the axe. In later years, injuries were part of Shikhar’s career, which seldom allowed him to fully display his skill and probably helped him make the decision to quit the game while he was still enjoying being part of the circuit.”

In the end, Sunil Gavaskar highlighted the challenges of deciding when to end a playing career, saying that it becomes clear when the body starts signaling that it's time to stop.

The legendary cricketer has also emphasized that making this decision is never easy, but when the body tells the mind it's time, that's when the moment has arrived.

Sunil Gavaskar also expressed his hope that Shikhar Dhawan will bring the same joy and positivity to whatever he chooses to pursue in the next chapter of his life. Notably, Dhawan is all set to be seen in action in the upcoming LLC 2024.