Shikhar Dhawan, the renowned India opener, has admitted that he has entered a phase of transition and will soon stand on the threshold of a new chapter in his life. Scoring a century in his Test debut and raising his bat high in the air to celebrate his ton in his hundredth ODI game, Dhawan has tasted success throughout his illustrious career. But the journey of an athlete is not everlasting; it eventually comes to an end. The 38-year-old has been away from the international circuit for a while now, as he last donned the Blue Jersey in an international match in December 2022. While he continues to drift away from the international stage, he has still been a regular face in the Indian Premier League. But after Punjab Kings crashed out of this season, a section of social media users have been speculating about the future of the seasoned batter.
While addressing his journey, Dhawan admitted that his cricketing career is going through a “transition.” He is taking things as they come, showing how he has a calm and composed head on his shoulders.
In an interview with ANI, the southpaw shared that he knows sporting careers come with an age limit and he might have to hang up his boots one day.
“I am also going through a transition ‘Jahan Meri Cricket Vishram Pe Aayegi’ and a new chapter in my life will start. You only have a certain age till you can play. It could be one year more, two years more, or xyz for me…,” Dhawan said.
The veteran opener has established himself as one of the most decorated batters in the history of the cash-rich league.
Dhawan, who is the first man to hit back-to-back hundreds in the IPL, made his debut in the inaugural season and went on to become the second-highest run-getter with a whopping tally of 6,769 runs.
Even in the last edition, he racked up 373 runs at an average of 41.44, demonstrating his hunger to perform on the big stage. But this season, he managed to feature in only five games and missed the majority of the season due to a shoulder injury.
On April 9, he sustained a shoulder injury while fielding during the Punjab Kings (PBKS) match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
He even reflected on the nature of his injury and added, “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 has been out of action on the field ever since he got injured, but he did come up with something special for his fans.
On May 20, his chat show ‘Dhawan Karenge’ was launched on JioCinema. He shot for the show before the IPL 2024 season.
On exploring new horizons with his hosting debut, Dhawan said that it was quite a learning and different experience for him.
“I will be honest…I was quite nervous initially as it was something new for me. ‘Dil Dhak-Dhak Kar Raha Tha’..(heart was beating fast), especially when I was shooting with Akshay Paaji (Akshay Kumar). I was smiling in front of him but I was nervous for sure. I feel it’s natural to get nervous when you start something new…but ‘Ek Baari Flow Mein Aa Gaye Toh Phir Chakke-Chauke Pad Hi Jaate Hain’ (once you get the hang of it, then it is just like smashing boundaries on the cricket field),” Dhawan laughed.
