Shikhar Dhawan recently opened up about the reasons behind his decision to retire from international cricket, explaining that a lack of motivation to play domestic cricket led to his choice. The 38-year-old former India opener admitted that he had not been actively playing cricket in the last few years, which resulted in him losing his touch. Dhawan, a veteran of Indian cricket and a former Delhi batter, also acknowledged that competing in the highly demanding IPL had become more difficult due to his absence from domestic cricket.
In an interview with PTI on the sidelines of the Legends League Cricket (LLC), Dhawan shared, “I didn’t want to play domestic cricket, which I started at the age of 18 or 19, and I didn’t have that inspiration from inside to play that form of cricket anymore.” Dhawan had enjoyed a long and successful career in domestic and international cricket, but he said that the drive to continue playing at the domestic level had faded with time.
Reflecting on the past two years of his cricketing journey, Dhawan mentioned that he wasn’t playing much international cricket and was only featuring in IPL matches. “If I look back, in the last two years, I wasn’t playing much international cricket and was playing IPL to IPL, so I wasn’t playing much cricket overall,” he said. Dhawan's last appearance for the Indian national team came in December 2022, but the absence from regular cricket affected his performance and passion for the game.
“I thought that I’ve played enough, and I need to give it a break because I wasn’t playing that much cricket, so you lose your touch as well,” Dhawan admitted. He explained that trying to prepare for the IPL with just a few months of intense training wasn’t enough to maintain the level of performance expected in such a competitive tournament. “Continuing with just the IPL and coming up with two or three months of hard work wasn’t going to be enough for me,” Dhawan said.
The toll of his limited cricketing involvement was evident in his performance during IPL 2024, where he played only five matches due to injury. Dhawan, known for his consistency and explosive batting at the top order, found it increasingly challenging to deliver at his best after long periods away from regular cricket.
Ultimately, Dhawan concluded that his time on the cricket field had run its course, and it was time to step back. While he continues to participate in leagues like the Legends League Cricket, Dhawan has left behind a legacy as one of India's most successful and stylish openers, with his decision to retire marking the end of an era.
