Shikhar Dhawan, The Accelarator in the Indian Top Order

For a decade, the Indian Team's batting line-up was fixed. The Top Order on most occasions would do all the work, leaving little for the lower order, especially in chases. Additionally, the ones up top would know their roles so well, leaving little room for pressure even in the steepest of run chases. Rohit Sharma, for all his aggression and intent today was more of an accumulator early on. He used to start slow and was known for becoming unstoppable after facing 30 balls. After him was Virat Kohli, who remains more famous for his ability to rotate strike and hold an end, while masterfully guiding the team through chases and on tough tracks.

With both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli often taking their time, Shikhar Dhawan would be racing off the blocks. In his own way, Shikhar Dhawan laid out an attempt to fill the Virender Sehwag void, the opener Dhawan came in place for. While Sehwag was more flamboyant and had a different tone to his intent, Shikhar Dhawan was one who loved the off-side and was quick to move through the gears. His drives and punches early on were very successful and his left-hand stance added to his advantage. It was Shikhar Dhawan who briefly had Australia at his mercy in the 2015 Semi Final with Rohit Sharma consolidating. Unfortunately, Shikhar Dhawan could not carry on and his wicket triggered a collapse during a steep chase. 

His impact was felt again recently in the 2019 World Cup. He played one of his best knocks against Australia, sending a reminder of his tag as Mr. ICC for India. That knock though was his last in World Cups with a Pat Cummins delivery taking his finger, ending his tournament. With Dhawan gone, the impact was felt immediately as India were missing the bite they needed in the powerplay. They went at nearly three an over against England in the first ten overs of the same tournament and repeated the same against New Zealand later on. While Dhawan did not go on to rack the big numbers like his top-order partners, his contributions were very meaningful in the overall statistics.

He is a rare player to retire with more than 5000 runs at a strike rate over 90 and an average over 40. His numbers in ODIs were incredible throughout. While Dhawan's Test and T20 career meandered away, he still remained very solid in ODIs. He attained captaincy on a couple of occasions as well. To his misfortune though, the one format he was incredible in was the one often questioned for its existence. While Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were growing in T20Is and Tests as well, Shikhar Dhawan could not keep up. The ODI numbers though good were not given the required attention with ODIs coming around rarely. Eventually, the success of youngsters in other formats made the required noise to push Shikhar Dhawan away from the limelight, which cost him his ODI spot as well a year on from the 2023 World Cup. 

He enjoyed a glorious run though up until 2022. Starting off with an incredible Test century on debut, scoring the fastest debut century by an Indian back then, Shikhar Dhawan went on to lead the run-scoring charts in the 2013 Champions Trophy. He quickly became Mr.ICC with runs in the 2015, and 2019 World Cups and the 2017 Champions Trophy. Multi-national events had him go at his best irrespective of the conditions. It was in ODIs particularly where he went on to show that he is a class apart.

His success, unfortunately, did not last as long as his top order partners, with Shikhar Dhawan the first of the trio to call it a day across formats.. He calls time in the IPL too, after playing a part in five teams. His IPL career is far more successful than his overall T20 Career to his fortune. Having started off in 2008, Shikhar Dhawan is the second-highest run-getter behind Virat Kohli, and peaked in the Covid Pandemic, hitting two centuries in a row in 2020. His best possible stint though could be with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Starting in 2013, he was a key part of their batting unit along with David Warner and Kane Williamson, initially carrying the line-up with the tasks of getting enough for Dale Steyn to defend in 2013. His career in IPL particularly progressed strongly until his Final two years were injury-ridden restricting his appearances. While he may not have the seemingly similar stature of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, his impact will be truly known to the ones growing up watching Cricket in the 2010s. As a batter, he paved the way to so many moments, enforcing the knock, and releasing pressure at the other end. He now enforces the journey to the next chapter as well with Shikhar Dhawan retiring after a long and successful career.