When Ishan Kishan scored 200, I knew this is the end of my career: Shikhar Dhawan

Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan recently opened up about the moment he realised his international career was nearing its end. The turning point came when fellow opener Ishan Kishan smashed a double century, pointing to a shift in India’s white-ball setup, particularly in the ODI format.

Dhawan and Kishan had opened the innings for India in the final ODI against Bangladesh in Chattogram, with skipper Rohit Sharma unavailable. While Dhawan was dismissed for just three, Kishan went on to play a sensational knock, scoring 210 off 131 balls, including 24 fours and 10 sixes. The performance made Dhawan sense that his time in the Indian team was coming to a close.

“I was scoring lots of 50s, I didn’t score a 100 but I scored lots of 70s. 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. Then I remember my friends came over to you know, give me that emotional support. They thought that I would be very down. But I was chilling, I was enjoying,” Dhawan told Hindustan Times ahead of the launch of his autobiography titled ‘The One’.

Gill is creating his own aura: Dhawan

Dhawan was eventually edged out of India’s ODI setup ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup, because of the rise of Shubman Gill. The 39-year-old admitted that with Gill cementing his place across formats, it became increasingly difficult for him to keep up with the competition, despite having an impressive track record in ODIs and ICC tournaments.

“Now there is one angle of seeing it that way. Another angle is that at the time, Shubman Gill was doing very well in T20s and Tests as well. Now I am not in the picture that much. I only come for ODIs. But the other player is doing so well and he is in front of the coaches more. He is creating his own aura or own environment authentically, organically,” Dhawan said.

The former Indian opener also faced a major setback when he was overlooked for India’s squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup. Dhawan led a second-string Indian side in his final T20I series during the tour of Sri Lanka, marking the beginning of the end of his international career.

“I knew that my name was not going to come (2021 T20 World Cup squad). I could sense that thing. It’s not that you are going to be spoon-fed for everything. I didn’t ask anyone why my name didn’t come. Even if I had asked, they were going to have their own perspective on it and I am going to tell my own story. It doesn’t make any sense and doesn’t change anything,” Dhawan concluded.