End of Gabbar’s reign! India might never see another Shikhar Dhawan

He came he saw he conqueredWhen the great Sachin Tendulkar bestowed the Test cap upon Shikhar Dhawan he remarked We know about your guts Show us someDhawan must have taken his words to heart back then for he managed to create an aura over time that on its days could swallow reputations and rewrite historyPaying tribute India captain Rohit Sharma tweeted that his job was made easier by Shikhar Dhawan whenever the latter demolished bowlers during their opening stints He cant be accused of exaggeration because watching Dhawan bat was as many fans would agree mysticalHow else can you explain a batsman racing to his century in just 85 balls with a flurry of boundaries on his Test debut against AustraliaLike a lsquotrue Gabbarrsquo as tweeted by Mohammed Shami Dhawan was forever distinctive and daring achieving notable milestones with colossal hits that sent the ball soaring into the stands each time he stepped in Despite the presence of bighitters Sharma Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni in the lineup he once ascended to become Indiarsquos most coveted wicketldquoWhat he has done for India is fantastic No words for him First I played with him in the DY Patil Groupmanaged T20 tournamenthellipI captained him laughs I was very lucky to have captained himrdquo Punjab Kingsrsquo Shashank Singh told MidDay over the phoneShashank and Shikhar go a long wayCongratulations on a wonderful career SDhawan25 Just want to say a big thank you without your support and guidance I wouldnrsquot have been able to contribute to the team All the best for your future endeavours Shikhi Bhai thanks again retirement Gabbar pictwittercom0VtrpnYq6lmdash shashank singh shashank2191 August 24 2024Also ReadKolkata rapemurder When rivals reconcile Football foes find common causeDhawan first got a glimpse of Singhrsquos captaincy at the DY Patil Invitational tournament in Navi Mumbai earlier this year Dhawan was particularly struck by Singhrsquos approach to leadership Despite the presence of established cricketers with their seasoned perspectives Singhrsquos strategic acumen and the meticulousness with which he prepared for each game were evident giving Dhawan a clear insight into his capabilities And by the time the IPL season approached Dhawanrsquos initial impressions had solidified into firm confidence And did Singh deliverShikhar SDhawan25 from your fearless debut to becoming one of Indias most dependable openers youve given us countless memories to cherish Your passion for the game your sportsmanship and your trademark smile will be missed but your legacy lives on Thank you for thehellipmdash Virat Kohli imVkohli August 25 2024ldquoAt Punjab Kings too I made it to the top in the IPL because of his guidance and the way he has nurtured me as a youngster I was very lucky and grateful I remember my first interaction with him at the DY Patil tournament He came up to me and said lsquoShashank whatever number you want me to bat I will bat Just treat me as a normal company playerrsquo He is such a humble and downtoearth person because someone of his calibre coming up to me I was just a normal domestic player in front of him and saying that he could bat at any positionhellipsays a lot Not only me everyone at that tournament loved him sicrdquo he addedThroughout his international career IPL ventures and domestic forays lsquoGabbarrsquo Dhawan embodied a curious mix of tenacity resourcefulness and selfsacrifice all while wearing a smile that seemed perpetually glued to his face His persona was a striking amalgam of dedication and cheerful persistence almost to a faultFrom sharing rooms to sharing lifetime memories on the field You always made my job easier from the other end THE ULTIMATE JATT SDhawan25 pictwittercomROFwAHgpuomdash Rohit Sharma ImRo45 August 25 2024Although his Test debut was notable Dhawanrsquos true prowess was realized in ODIs In this realm he racked up a staggering 6793 runs at a decidedly decent average of 4411 The figure is hardly worldshattering but it includes a notsomodest tally of 17 centuries and 39 fifties Not bad for someone whose greatest asset according to some was his spectacularly flamboyant hattrick of shotsShikhar Dhawan L and Rohit Sharma take a single during the sixth match of the TriNation series between India and Sri Lanka in 2013 Pic AFPNow his Test career With 2315 runs at an average of 4061 including a paltry seven centuries Dhawanrsquos Test exploits seem like a prolonged exercise in mediocrity The Indian cricketing cosmos had high expectations particularly after that blazing start But Dhawan in a display of rare cricketing stoicism never bothered to moan or groan about the modest yield from his Test career He embraced it all with a grin that suggested he was perfectly content to be an eternal enigmaOne may have expected a flood of cryptic social media musings or passiveaggressive tweets after being snubbed by selectors but Dhawan ever the model of dignified restraint offered none of that ever His social media presence was a refreshing haven of positivity no veiled insults no sarcastic jabs no melodramatic flair Even when facing personal turmoil he maintained his serene demeanour The manrsquos grace under pressure was nothing short of an art form quite literallyConsider his heartfelt public messages before major tournaments like the ODI World Cup in 2023 and the T20 World Cup in the Americas Dhawan managed to keep his tone uplifting and supportive wishing his teammates well and hoping for the teamrsquos success whether he was included or not It was almost as if he believed in the power of positive thinking a quaint notion that often eludes less harmonious soulsIn a particularly touching social media post following his retirement announcement Shikhar Dhawanrsquos final reflection on his career was a masterclass in graceful resignation ldquoAnd thats why I tell myself dont be sad that you wont play for India again but be happy that you played for your country And thats the biggest thing for me that I playedrdquo he mused Ah the height of selfacceptance and contentment in his words truly a sentiment that would make even the most cynical sports writerrsquos heart flutterLetrsquos not forget his significant role in Indiarsquos last ICC triumph the 2013 Champions Trophy in England where his heroics at the top of the order in challenging seaming conditions were instrumental earning him the lsquoPlayer of the Tournamentrsquo award A rare moment of glory in what can only be described as an otherwise turbulent career and only Happy retirement Shikhar Look back at some of his best knocks httpstcoF4fs6E3g4C pictwittercomdEisWRoot8mdash ICC ICC August 24 2024Despite his reputation as Indian crickets Gabbar with his signature thighclap celebration that was as endearing as it was enigmatic Dhawan didnrsquot exactly start with a bang His international debut was less than stellar marked by a twoball duck against Australia A rather unceremonious start one might say However after stumbling out of the gate he did make a grand return in 2013 Dhawan firmly established himself across all three formats with performances that were quite frankly a mix of dazzling brilliance and unremarkable consistencyAmong the highlights of his career one would find a splendid 137 against South African fastbowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel in the 2015 ODI World Cup A moment that surely stands out in Dhawans memory if only because it allowed him to dazzle with his flair against a formidable attackBut letrsquos not forget the 109ball 117 in the 2019 World Cup against Australia at The Oval A knock that was perhaps his last significant contribution in Indian colours an almost fitting end to a career characterised by fleeting brilliance After all whatrsquos a career without a dramatic climaxDhawans tenure in international whiteball cricket alongside the luminary Sharma and the indomitable Kohli was nothing short of legendary or so the cricketing hype machine would have us believe This trio strutting their stuff from 2013 to 2019 was hailed as an unparalleled triumvirate Yet Dhawan the humble unassuming third wheel didnrsquot quite manage to etch himself into the annals of greatness with the same flamboyance as his counterpartsAll three peak performers were in their prime but Dhawan was perpetually the one left in the shadows overshadowed by the more illustrious Sharma and Kohli One could argue that the reason for Dhawanrsquos relative obscurity was his knack for interspersing scintillating innings with prolonged periods of mediocrity Such erratic form does tend to dampen the fanfare and so it didIn domestic cricket he was an undeniable standout rising to stardom during the 2004 U19 World Cup Yet despite this early promise it wasnrsquot until 2013 that he truly managed to capture the attention of the Indian public It was almost as if the cricketing world needed to endure a prolonged game of hideandseek before recognizing Dhawanrsquos true potentialHis batting skills may have waned in his later years but his stint with cricket remained a unique spectacle celebrated for its originality and the bold attitude driving it History might be indifferent to his legacy but one thing remains clear wherever Dhawan was there was magic