The pragmatic 38-year-old, who in his prime left the greatest bowlers helpless and in awe, decided to accept his fate and retire from all forms of cricket after being out of the Indian lineup for a while.
When the great Sachin Tendulkar presented Dhawan with the Test cap, he told him, “We know about your guts. Show us some,” as per PTI.
He certainly displayed more than just guts.
His stint in the Indian Premier League, his local circuit appearances, and his international career were all characterized by tenacity, resourcefulness, selflessness, and a willingness to make sacrifices for the team. He did it with a constant smile on his face.
One would have a hard time finding a mysterious tweet on his social media platforms after the India selectors rejected him. No clever jabs, no posts full of sarcasm, no frills-that wasn’t his way of doing things, even when his personal life was in turmoil. His supporters stood with him the entire time, and he carried himself with dignity and grace.
He would pray for the team’s success and wish his fellow colleagues well. Whether or not he was a member of the team made no difference.
One can refer to his touching letter that he wrote upon the announcement of the Indian squad for the home ODI World Cup last year. He followed suit prior to India’s victory in this year’s T20 World Cup in the Americas, which ended an 11-year drought for titles in ICC tournaments.
A quote from his retirement sums up his personality well.
“… And that’s why I tell myself, don’t be sad that you won’t play for India again but be happy that you played for your country. And that’s the biggest thing for me, that I played,” he said in his concluding remarks in the social media post on Saturday morning.
By the way, Dhawan was named player of the tournament for his performances at the top of the order in seaming conditions during the previous time India won an ICC title, which was the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.
The ‘Gabbar‘ of Indian cricket, who made the thigh-clap celebration his signature, had a bad start to his international career when he was removed in an ODI in Visakhapatnam against Australia for a two-ball duck.
But Dhawan returned to the Indian team in 2013 and solidified his spot in all three formats with some outstanding performances, after his early setbacks in the top division.
His career-high 185 against Australia in Mohali on Test debut, where he made his century in just 85 balls with a barrage of boundaries, was the pinnacle of his play.
On his Test debut, Dhawan, though, might have been out before he had faced a ball. The debutant, was caught off guard by the first delivery of the India innings, which skidded out of Mitchell Starc‘s hand and dropped on the stumps at the non-striker’s end.
The flamboyant Dhawan took full advantage of the Australians’ lack of an appeal, setting a new record for the fastest century by a Test debutant.
Despite having a remarkable Test debut, Dhawan discovered his true calling in One-Day Internationals, where he amassed 6793 runs at an average of 44.11, including 39 fifties and 17 hundreds.
During his 2315 Test runs, including seven hundreds, he averaged 40.61. The Indian cricket establishment, and the fans, had high expectations for Dhawan, particularly following his explosive start to the Test match circuit. However, over the course of his nearly 14-year career, Dhawan has never expressed dissatisfaction with his performance.
When he reflects on his career, he will undoubtedly treasure the moments he shared, like his incredible 137 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2015 ODI World Cup against a South African pace attack led by Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.
Perhaps his last significant outing in the India colours came in the 2019 World Cup against Australia at the Oval, when he scored 117 off 109 balls.
His unbeaten trifecta in the international white-ball formats from 2013 to 2019 included Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and him. However, what makes him unique is that he is not retiring after leaving the game with a massive legacy, unlike the other two.
Dhawan was the least well-known of the three, even though they all peaked at the same moment. That may be partly because he would be consistently lean for extended periods of time in between his good form.
In the 2004 U-19 World Cup, Dhawan made waves as an exceptional performer in domestic cricket as well. But it wasn’t until 2013 that the Indian public really began to take notice of him.