Shikhar Dhawan’s return to cricket in the Legends Cricket League was an exciting moment for fans. Known for his aggressive batting and lively personality, Dhawan’s presence was immediately felt as the Gujarat Greats faced Toyam Hyderabad.

As captain, Dhawan showed his smart leadership from the start. His sharp field placements and clever decisions helped to keep the Hyderabad team in check. Although he scored a modest 21 runs, his powerful shots, especially against Nuwan Pradeep, reminded everyone of his ability to shift the game’s momentum.

Dhawan’s influence went beyond his batting. His leadership was clear as he guided his team to an easy win. His energy and motivation created a positive vibe within the squad.

Morne Van Wyk‘s impressive century secured the victory, but Dhawan’s captaincy set the stage for the win. His return thrilled fans and highlighted the lasting impact experienced players can have on the game.

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Shikhar Dhawan’s journey post retirement

As Shikhar Dhawan shines in the Legends Cricket League, fans are excited to see what else he will achieve. His comeback shows his lasting talent, strong spirit, and deep love for cricket, which has always been a part of his incredible career.

Last month, Dhawan announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. He leaves the game as one of India’s greatest ODI openers. Together with Rohit Sharma, Dhawan formed India’s second most successful ODI opening partnership, just behind the iconic pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.

Just days after announcing his retirement from international and domestic cricket, Shikhar Dhawan revealed that he will be playing in a league for retired cricketers. According to the rules set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Indian players who compete in the Indian Premier League (IPL) cannot take part in other franchise-based T20 leagues. But since Dhawan has retired from Indian cricket, he can now join this tournament.

The league Dhawan will play in is the Legends League Cricket (LLC).

“My body is still ready for the demands of the game, and even though I’ve retired, cricket will always be a part of me. I’m excited to reunite with my old cricket friends and keep entertaining my fans as we create new memories together,” Dhawan said in a statement shared by news agency PTI.

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Shikhar Dhawan’s Career In Numbers

Shikhar Dhawan played 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is, scoring 2,315, 6,793, and 1,759 runs in each format respectively. He also had an impressive first-class career, with 8,499 runs in 122 matches, including his 34 Tests. In addition, Dhawan played over 300 List A and T20 matches, amassing 12,074 runs in the 50-over format and 9,797 runs in T20 cricket.

“As I end this chapter of my cricket journey, I leave with countless memories and deep gratitude. Thank you for all the love and support! Jai Hind,” Dhawan wrote in a video where he announced his retirement.

The 38-year-old shared his decision in a video on social media. Dhawan hasn’t played for the Indian men’s national team since their 2022 tour of Bangladesh.

“As I close this chapter of my cricketing journey, I take with me many memories and a lot of gratitude. Thank you for all the love and support! Jai Hind!,” Shikhar Dhawan said in the video.

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“It’s important to move on in life, and that’s why I am announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket. I leave with peace in my heart, knowing I played for India for so long,” he added.

Dhawan made his One Day International (ODI) debut in 2010, playing 167 matches and scoring 6793 runs, including 17 centuries.

He played his first Test match in 2013 against Australia at Mohali and scored a century in his debut. He went on to play 33 more Test matches for India, scoring a total of 2315 runs.

In the IPL match between the Gujarat Titans (GT) and Punjab Kings (PBKS), the Punjab Kings won the toss and chose to bowl first, led by captain Shikhar Dhawan. Both teams had to make changes because of injuries. PBKS replaced the injured Liam Livingston with Zimbabwe player Sikandar Raza, while GT brought in Kane Williamson for David Miller, who was injured.

The Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, are aiming to continue their winning streak after their seven-wicket victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad. On the other hand, Punjab Kings are hoping to bounce back from their two consecutive losses against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants.

Gill, last year’s Orange Cap winner, hasn’t performed up to expectations this season, scoring only 75 runs in three games. The pressure on him has increased as he takes over the captaincy from Hardik Pandya. Pandya left GT for the Mumbai Indians before the auction last year after leading GT to the title in their debut season and finishing as runners-up. There’s a lot of pressure on Gill to deliver with the bat and silence his critics.

Mohit Sharma, the veteran pacer, defended Gill, stating that although his stats might not show it, Gill is batting well and a big score from him is imminent.

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PBKS, despite having strong bowlers like Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel, has struggled to find a winning bowling strategy. Even Rahul Chahar hasn’t been as effective as expected. Dhawan needs to address these issues and hope for an improved performance. Additionally, Liam Livingstone’s absence due to a hamstring injury is a significant setback for PBKS.

Highlights from GT vs PBKS

– Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and Punjab Kings chose to bowl first

– Kagiso Rabada dismissed Wriddhiman Saha early

– Harpreet Brar then got the wicket of Kane Williamson after the powerplay

– Shubman Gill scored his first half-century of the season

– GT have brought in Kane Williamson for the injured David Miller

In his first-ever IPL match for Lucknow Super Giants, young fast bowler Mayank Yadav left a mark with his impressive performance. During the 12th over against Punjab Kings, Mayank bowled a really fast delivery, clocking at 155.8 kmph, which troubled Shikhar Dhawan. Despite being just 21 years old, Mayank showed good form, taking three crucial wickets including Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, and Jitesh Sharma.

Mayank was initially bought by LSG in the 2022 auction for Rs 20 lakh, but due to an injury, he was replaced by Arpit Guleria. However, Mayank’s talent shone through on his debut. He represents Delhi in domestic cricket and has shown promise with his performance in T20 and List A matches, taking a total of 46 wickets in 27 matches.

Watch the Video Of Mayank Yadav:

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In an interview after the match, Mayank expressed his excitement about his debut and admitted to feeling nervous before the game. He credited his success to sticking to his pace and aiming accurately. Mayank also mentioned that despite facing setbacks like injuries, he’s determined to achieve his goals in cricket.

Mayank’s impressive bowling helped Lucknow Super Giants secure their first win of the IPL 2024 season against Punjab Kings. With a total score of 199/8, boosted by contributions from players like Quinton de Kock and Nicholas Pooran, LSG managed to defend their score successfully. Punjab Kings, missing the services of Liam Livingstone due to injury, fell short and ended their innings at 178/5.

India batter Shikhar Dhawan has posted a heartbreaking message on son Zoravar’s birthday, revealing that he has been blocked from contacting his nine-year-old. Dhawan, in an extremely emotional post on Instagram – which promises to leave one teary-eyed – mentioned that he is proud of the kid and shared a photo of his video call with Zoravar. Shikhar Dhawan and his ex-wife Ayesha Mukherjee went their separate ways following an unsuccessful marriage, with the court officially granting them a divorce in October.

The grounds for the divorce were cited as ‘cruelty’ inflicted on the renowned Indian cricketer by his estranged wife. Judge Harish Kumar accepted Dhawan’s allegations, which included accusations of being kept apart from their son and pressured into financial decisions.

As part of the court’s decision, Shikhar Dhawan was granted mandatory visitation rights to meet his son both in India and Australia. The court specifically ordered Aesha to facilitate bringing their son to India for visitation purposes, which included overnight stays with Dhawan and his family, especially during school holidays. However, it appears that Dhawan is currently facing challenges in establishing connections with his son.

“It’s been a year since I saw you in person, and now, for almost three months, I’ve been blocked from everywhere so Posting the same picture to wish you, my boy, a very Happy Birthday. Even if I can’t connect with you directly, I connect with you through Telepathy. I am so proud of you, and I know you’re doing great and growing up nicely,” Shikhar Dhawan wrote.

“Papa always misses you and loves you. He’s always positive, waiting with a smile for the time when we will meet again by the Grace of God. Be naughty but not destructive, be a giver, be humble, compassionate, patient, and strong. Despite not seeing you, I write you messages almost every day, asking about your well-being and daily life, sharing what I’m doing and what’s new in my life. Love you loads Zora.”

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Dhawan’s petition claimed Mukerji’s commitments to her previous marriage and daughters residing in Australia created a physical and emotional distance during their eight-year marriage. He further alleged Mukerji pressured him to invest heavily in Australian properties, raising concerns about financial control.

Mukerji did not contest the allegations or defend herself in court. The court awarded Dhawan the divorce but declined to rule on their son’s permanent custody. Instead, it established visitation rights, allowing Dhawan to spend time with Zoravar in India and Australia, including overnight stays and video calls.

Dhawan and Mukerji married in 2012 and separated in 2020. Neither Dhawan not Mukerji have not publicly commented on the divorce.

Team India will begin its campaign in the 2023 World Cup against Australia on October 8; the Rohit Sharma-led side is among the favourites to lift the title at home. With some of the star names in the Indian squad Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, and the captain himself among others, India are primed to end a 10-year ICC title drought. However, one of the big stars who will be absent from this year’s edition of the ODI World Cup is Shikhar Dhawan; the veteran opener had lost his place in the side last year, with Shubman replacing the left-hander.

Dhawan has not made an appearance for India in any format this year. Although there were expectations of his return to the squad for the Asian Games, the BCCI entrusted Ruturaj Gaikwad with the leadership role. Remarkably, despite his extended absence from the team, Dhawan has maintained a positive and cheerful demeanor in public. On Thursday, the opener also expressed his warm wishes to the Indian team as they begin their journey in the World Cup through his official X account.

“Chak De India! Let’s paint the world blue, boys! All the best on your World Cup journey. Bring that trophy home! #TeamIndia #WorldCup2023,” Dhawan wrote.

Dhawan had been a key member of India’s last two World Cup campaigns, and his unfortunate injury mid-way through the 2019 edition proved to be a massive setback for the side as it faced a semi-final defeat to New Zealand.

Dhawan has represented India in 167 ODIs so far; prior to his ouster from the ODI format, Dhawan was already out-of-contention for spots in T20Is and Tests. His last T20I appearance came in July 2021 against Sri Lanka, while his last game in the longest format of the game was over five years ago against England.

Shikhar Dhawan’s struggles in personal life

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Apart from his absence from the Indian team, Dhawan had also been facing personal issues related to his estranged wife, Ayesha. On Wednesday, a Delhi family court granted Dhawan’s request for a divorce from his estranged wife, citing cruelty as the grounds for the decree.

“Respondent’s/ estranged wife intentional decision to leave this matter uncontested also shows her desire that the court should pass decree of divorce even at the cost of holding her guilty of the matrimonial offence as she knows that no harm could be caused to her even if she is held to have treated the petitioner with cruelty because she has already obtained sufficient favourable orders from the Federal Circuit and Family Court in Australia,” the court said.

India will be sending its team for the first time to the upcoming Asian Games 2023 to be held in Hangzhou from September 23-October 8. Cricket will be played at the Games for the first time since 2018 after it was introduced in 2014.

India will be sending a second-string men’s team for the cricket event, while a full-strength women’s team will travel to China. This is because the first-choice men’s team players will be busy preparing for the World Cup 2023 to be held in India.   

Reports also suggested that veteran batter Shikhar Dhawan will captain the side in the Asian Games 2023.

However, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has not named the dashing left-handed batter while naming his two openers in his likely playing XI.

Rohit, Kohli, Hardik not to feature as BCCI Apex Council approves participation of Indian teams in Asian Games

Aakash Chopra has named Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal as his first-choice opening pair. He also mentioned that Gaikwad will not be selected for the ODI World Cup squad.

“I am starting with Ruturaj Gaikwad. I feel Ruturaj Gaikwad’s name might not be there for the World Cup. Already Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma are there and then Ishan Kishan is there as an opener. Then Shreyas Iyer comes and then you have Virat Kohli. So there I feel a place might not get opened up,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

He also added that Yashasvi Jaiswal is nowhere close to being selected in the ODI lineup.

“I genuinely wish, Dinesh Karthik bats for R Ashwin to be named India’s captain for Asian Games 2023″ Aakash Chopra said

“So I am going with Ruturaj Gaikwad as an opener. He hasn’t got too many opportunities. For some reason, he is not considered your T20 batter. The second player I have picked is Yashasvi Jaiswal. Once again his career is just starting and he has not been even close to the ODI side for the last two-three years,” he added.

Aakash Chopra further named Tilak Varma as his choice for the No. 3 spot in the team.

“After that, I have kept Tilak Varma. I have kept the No. 3 spot for him here. Sai Sudharsan could have also been there but I have kept Tilak Varma because I feel he brings a lot more in man-to-man marking. He bowls a little as well“, the former opener added.

The India team has quite a hectic cricket schedule this year. While the World Test Championship final topped the first half of the schedule, where India faced a disappointing loss to Australia, the team will be looking for positive results in the remaining half that includes the successful ODI World Cup on home soil as well as the Asia. Cup before the world tournament. But these are not the only two big trophies on the line for India; the team is also scheduled to participate in the quadrennial Asian Games, scheduled to take place in Hangzhou in China.

Both male and female teams will participate in the Games and according to ITP, A senior member of the Indian team is likely to return to the team for the tournament. A PTI report suggests that Shikhar Dhawan could return as team captain at the Games, while India’s senior team continue their World Cup preparations.

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“Shikhar Dhawan’s name is making the rounds as the captain of the India B team who will be taking part in the quadrennial extravaganza,” ITP reported on Thursday.

The men’s competition at the Asian Games will coincide with India’s preparations for the World Cup, so a second team is expected to participate in the continental event.

Dhawan has remained out of Indian ODI team competition since December last year, following inconsistent performances in the fifty-plus format. He was succeeded by young starter Shubman Gill in the role; Dhawan has yet to represent India in any format this year. However, this will not be the first time that Dhawan has been able to lead the Indian team; the left-handed opener had captained the team against New Zealand in a three-match ODI series last year, and had also led a second team against Sri Lanka in ODI and T20I matches in 2021.

Meanwhile, a full women’s team will be in action at the Games and will be the favorites to win gold. The women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, also participated in the Commonwealth Games last year, where they finished runners-up, losing to Australia in the final.