Shikhar Dhawan, once a cornerstone of India’s white-ball success, has opened up about the moment he knew his international career had quietly come to an end. Speaking in an exclusive interview ahead of the release of his autobiography “The One”, Dhawan recalled the exact point he sensed his time with Team India was up — when Ishan Kishan scored a double century in Bangladesh in 2022.
“When Ishan Kishan scored that 200, my instinct told me, alright boy, this can be the end of your career. An inner voice came to me. And that’s what happened.”
Dhawan admitted he didn’t feel the need to call anyone in the BCCI or the team management after being dropped from ODIs or the 2021 T20 World Cup squad. “I didn’t ask anyone why my name didn’t come. Even if I had, they’d have their own perspective, and I’d have mine. It doesn’t change anything,” he said.
Despite a steady run in ODIs, including multiple 50+ scores in 2022, Dhawan acknowledged the rise of younger players like Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan tilted the balance.
“I was scoring lots of 50s, not hundreds. But the other player was doing so well… creating his own aura.”
‘Didn’t deserve better exit? Depends on the perspective’
Between 2013 and 2022, only Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli scored more ODI runs than Dhawan for India. He was the highest run-getter in the 2013 Champions Trophy, 2015 World Cup, and 2017 Champions Trophy — all ICC tournaments. Yet, he was not even in contention for the 2023 ODI World Cup at home.
Despite this, Dhawan says he harbours no resentment. He also admitted that he “never got calls” from teammates or officials when he lost his place, except for a message from Rahul Dravid.
“Everyone has their own journey. People are busy, on tours… and we are used to this from U-14 days.”
Now retired from all formats, Dhawan looks back with calm acceptance, even humour. “My friends thought I’d be down after being dropped. But I was chilling, I was enjoying,” he smiled.
His memoir, The One, promises to be a blend of cricket, life, and introspection — straight from one of Indian cricket’s most loved personalities.
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