In its ninety years of international cricket, Team India has gone from being the world’s biggest underdog to producing some of the best players, whether they are bowling bamboozlers or willowers.
India has always had a wealth of star power and cricketing talent. Talents such as CK Nayadu, Vinoo Mankad, Vijay Hazare, MAK Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, and Virat Kohli emerged from every decade.
One such celebrity, India’s finest opener Shikhar Dhawan, turned 38 on Tuesday. A year ago, Dhawan participated in an ODI series in Bangladesh, which was his last appearance for India. For the first time in his thirteen years, Dhawan will not be celebrating his birthday surrounded by the thrills and hardships of playing international cricket.
Dhawan, who battled it out for the opening spot against the likes of his Delhi teammates Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and the great Sachin Tendulkar, was handed the chance of a lifetime when he was paired with Rohit Sharma for the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Both batters’ careers were altered by the combination, as they became two of the most lethal willow-wielders in cricket history.
Though Rohit ‘Hitman’ Sharma amassed unprecedented double hundreds, enthralled audiences with his sixes, and challenged Virat Kohli in terms of stats and shot-making, Shikhar continued to dominate the opening slot and was beloved by the supporters for his batting exploits and his signature moustache twirl, which earned him the moniker ‘Gabbar’.
He was eventually demoted to number three in the rankings, though, as Rohit and Kohli’s appeal increased.
Following his final Test match in 2018, Dhawan switched to playing only white-ball cricket. It was more difficult for him to maintain his spot in white-ball cricket because of KL Rahul’s competition as well as his advanced age. Even though he still plays white-ball cricket, he frequently steps in when KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma are not available.
The majority of his responsibilities include mentoring the upcoming Indian cricket players and imparting to them the knowledge he has gained over the course of his 12-year career.
Dhawan was a key player in India’s Champions Trophy victory in 2013. In the main event, he was the top batsman and was named “Man of the Tournament.” He amassed 363 runs at an average of 90.75 in five games, including two hundreds and one fifty. His highest rating was 114.
‘Gabbar’ won many hearts with his batting performances, vastly surpassing both Rohit and Virat, even though India’s 50-over World Cup title defence ended at the semifinals in 2015. He amassed 412 runs at a 51.50 average in eight games, including two hundreds and one fifty. He was the highest scoring player from India at the end of the competition and placed fifth overall.
The 2017 ICC Champions Trophy was the catalyst for Dhawan’s comeback to peak performance. Dhawan led the batting charts in yet another ICC tournament, which helped India finish second. With a best score of 125, he amassed 338 runs at an average of 67.60 in five matches, including one century and two fifties.
Shikhar was excellent once more in India’s 2018 Asia Cup victory, which helped them win their seventh championship. He amassed 342 runs at an average of 68.40 in five games, including two hundreds.
