Gabbar has left the building, probably. Shikhar Dhawan, one of Team India’s leading batsmen in recent years, has apparently played his last international game. It’s highly unlikely that the BCCI will renew his contract, which basically means that we’ll only be seeing him in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Let’s acknowledge this wonderful cricketer’s contribution to Indian cricket.
Shikhar Dhawan – A Living Legend
He was never earmarked as the future star. Nobody really believed in him. But Shikhar Dhawan didn’t really care. He impacted Indian cricket with his hard work and dedication, not to mention the fearless attitude that he brought to the field. He has been a household name in India over the last decade, promoting popular brands like Canara Bank, MRF, Dream 11, and Big Bazaar to name a few.
His first international ODI was back in 2010 and 167 matches later he has 17 tons and 39 50s to his name, all at a batting average of 44.11. He wasn’t selected for too many test matches. Dhawan featured in a total of 37 test matches for Team India, finishing with 7 centuries and averaging 40.61 runs per game. His T20 showings were far less impressive, something that led him to be dropped from the side frequently.
Where do Things Stand Now?
Dhawan has not announced his international retirement, but he hasn’t been called up for months now. Things are not looking good for his future with the national team. Shubman Gill has come of age in all formats, Virat Kohli is back in form, and even Rohit Sharma is scoring well after a rusty patch in 2022. Needless to say, Suryakumar Yadav has taken the world by storm with his sensational shotmaking.
All of these developments in the national team mean one thing – Shikhar Dhawan is the odd man out. While he does have above-average fielding abilities, the national team simply doesn’t need his batting contributions anymore. Unless there is some catastrophic turn of events with multiple injuries, it’s safe to say that we have seen the last of Gabbar in the international format of the game.
The Betting Angle: Dhawan in IPL 2023
Things are looking better for the 37-year-old on the IPL side of things.
He is expected to captain the Punjab Kings this time around and open the batting alongside Liam Livingstone. He should be motivated to make his case ahead of the upcoming ODI World Cup in November, but selectors will be extremely reluctant to gamble on him at his advanced age. But Gabbar’s career has been full of adversity and it won’t surprise us to see him resurface again with some strong knocks.
We expect Shikhar Dhawan to score over 400 runs in this IPL campaign, assuming he stays healthy. However, we don’t believe that he can challenge the top guns for the orange cap anymore. Either way, thanks for the great memories, Gabbar!
Stay tuned for our detailed 2023 IPL Betting Guide.