Virender Sehwag reminds Shikhar Dhawan of the latter replacing him in the Indian team on his retirement

Veteran Indian opening batter Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket on Saturday morning, August 24.

Former Indian cricketers, including Virender Sehwag, and fans congratulated Shikhar Dhawan for his outstanding performances with the national cricket team.

The Delhi-born cricketer made his international debut for India in an ODI against Australia in 2010. Dhawan last played for the Indian national cricket team in the same format against Bangladesh in 2022.

His final T20I came during the Sri Lanka tour in July 2021. He last played a Test match in September 2018.

The southpaw delivered impressive performances for the Men in Blue throughout his career, especially in white-ball cricket formats.

Dhawan scored 6,793 runs in 167 ODIs at an average of 44.11, including 17 centuries. He amassed 2,315 runs in 34 Tests and added 1,759 runs in 68 T20I matches.

Continue To Have Fun - Virender Sehwag On Shikhar Dhawan

Virender Sehwag congratulated Shikhar Dhawan on his retirement. Sehwag reminisced about Dhawan taking over his role in the Test team during the home series against Australia and added that he hasn’t looked back since then. The 45-year-old Sehwag wished the left-handed batter well for the future.

“Badhaai ho Shikkhi. Ever since the time you replaced me in Mohali, you didn’t look back and some top performances over the years. May you continue to have fun and live life to the fullest. Very best wishes always,” Sehwag wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) in reply to Dhawan’s video announcing his retirement.

Badhaai ho Shikkhi. Ever since the time you replaced me in Mohali, you didn’t look back and some top performances over the years. May you continue to have fun and live life to the fullest. Very best wishes always. https://t.co/jHvfLAhp14

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) August 24, 2024

Virender Sehwag was dropped from the Test XI after a poor performance in the Hyderabad Test during the 2013 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). Sehwag had failed to reach 50 runs in his previous nine innings. The former Indian batter scored his last Test century against England three months before.

Dhawan replaced Sehwag in the playing XI for the Mohali Test. He played a 187-run innings against Australia on his debut.

Dhawan set records for the highest runs in a debut Test and the fastest debut century. He reached the century in just 85 balls. The southpaw was named 'Player of the Match' in Mohali.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, the 38-year-old described this knock as his best Test performance. He revealed that he was unaware he had set a world record for the fastest century by a debutant.

“My Test debut in 2013, where I made 187 against Australia. When I made a century in 85 balls, I had no clue that I had set a world record for the fastest century by a debutant,” the southpaw told Hindustan Times.

Shikhar Dhawan played 34 Tests for India. He amassed 2,315 runs at an average of 40.61, with seven centuries and five half-centuries. The veteran batter struggled to maintain this form in overseas conditions. He had a disappointing outing in England in 2018 and was dropped from Test cricket by selectors.

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