Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has officially retired from cricket, announcing his decision through a heartfelt video on social media.
In the video, Dhawan expressed his gratitude to his family, childhood coach, the Indian team, and BCCI for their support throughout his career.
The Southpaw last represented India in the ODI series against Bangladesh in December 2022. He confirmed his retirement from both international and domestic cricket, marking the end of an illustrious career.
Will Shikhar Dhawan play in IPL 2025?
When a player, especially an Indian cricketer, announces retirement, they often clarify whether they will continue playing in the IPL.
After winning the T20 World Cup, both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from T20 internationals but confirmed their intent to keep playing in the IPL.
Similarly, Shikhar Dhawan, while announcing his retirement, stated that he is stepping away from international and domestic cricket, leaving the door open for an IPL return without explicitly ruling it out.
Dhawan captained Punjab Kings in a few matches last IPL season, but an injury and ongoing struggles with fitness led to his replacement as captain by England all-rounder Sam Curran.
With a mega auction scheduled for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, franchises are limited in their ability to retain or hire additional players. In this year's IPL, Dhawan's tenure with Punjab Kings didn't yield the desired results, further casting uncertainty on his IPL future.
In a previous interview, Shikhar Dhawan acknowledged that he is still in the recovery process and hasn't reached 100% fitness yet, adding further uncertainty to his future in a high-pressure tournament like the IPL.
"Unfortunately, I got injured this IPL season and could not play for Punjab except for 4-5 matches. It takes time to recover. I am still healing. I have not recovered 100 per cent yet," Dhawan said in an interview.
If Punjab Kings decide not to retain Shikhar Dhawan for the IPL 2025 season, there's still a possibility that the left-handed batter could be picked up by another franchise, provided he regains full fitness.