Shikhar Dhawan recently discussed the tremendous assistance he had from MS Dhoni during his professional career.  He thanked Dhoni for helping him and Rohit Sharma, emphasising how the former skipper's guidance influenced their professional paths.

"Dhoni bhai supported and backed me a lot. He also backed Rohit. His guidance helped us."

- Dhawan !! ❤pic.twitter.com/ZssP7uzWxZ

— ` (@WorshipDhoni) February 21, 2025

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Dhoni, who is renowned for his calm leadership, always saw talent and gave players the courage to succeed.  He made a brilliant move by elevating Rohit Sharma to the position of opener, while Dhawan himself profited from Dhoni's confidence at pivotal times.
This illustrates why a lot of players from Dhoni's time still credit him with helping them succeed.  As a captain, he stood out for his ability to develop and encourage teammates in addition to his strategic leadership.

Former Indian Cricketer and ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Brand Ambassador Shikhar Dhawan attended yesterday's game between India and Bangladesh at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. ICC announced Shikhar Dhawan as a brand ambassador for Champions Trophy 2025 on 17th February. Shikhar Dhawan won the Champions Trophy in 2013 and the Golden Bat award twice, in the 2013 and 2017 editions.

Shikhar Dhawan made a surprise visit to Team India Camp before the game. He was happy to meet all the boys after such a long time. Dhawan also said that he recreated his memories and he was very happy. He also said Munde Tagde Hai (The boys are tough).

 

 

 

 

 

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Team India kickstart their Champions Trophy 2025 with a 6-wicket victory over Bangladesh. Earlier Mohammed Shami shined with the figures of 5-53 with this 5-fer Shami also completed his 200 ODI Wickets and restricted Bangladesh to 228 in 49.4 overs. Towhid Hridoy was the top scorer for Bangladesh with 100 runs off 118 balls. Team India chased the total in 46.3 overs and won the game by 6 wickets. Shubman Gill shined with 101* off 129 to take India home comfortably. Shikhar Dhawan also congratulated Team India on a brilliant victory.

Congratulations Team India on an excellent win, @ShubmanGill’s brilliant 101 and @MdShami11’s milestone of 200 ODI wickets, along with a fantastic five wicket haul, made it a perfect performance by our boys! Great to see Team India dominating, let’s keep up the same pace for the…

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) February 20, 2025

Shikhar Dhawan was also seen with a mysterious lady while enjoying the action between India and Bangladesh. It left everybody with the question Who is this mysterious lady? Is it Shikhar Dhawan's GF?

The name of the woman sitting with Shikhar Dhawan may be Soph, which is visible on her Instagram account.  As Shikhar Dhawan follows her on Instagram.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma provided another solid start for his national team with the bat in their first match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where they faced Bangladesh in the Group A fixture at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Commentators once again praised the Indian skipper's batting style, while his old Indian opening partner Shikhar Dhawan made a special comment. 

In their first game of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match, after restricting Bangladesh to 228 runs from 35/5, Indian captain Rohit Sharma set up another good start for Men in Blue on the tricky batting pitch. While he and Shubman Gill had a valuable 69-run partnership for the first wicket inside the first powerplay, Rohit was dismissed on the fifth ball of the 10th over after scoring 41 off 36 balls with seven fours. His aggressive batting failed Bangladesh's early plan to pressurize the Indian batters.

See Also: Social media shower praises for unstoppable Mohammed Shami

Aakash Chopra and Shikhar Dhawan called Rohit Sharma pure diamond

Former Indian cricketers, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Aakash Chopra, and Shikhar Dhawan, were enjoying Rohit's batting in the Hindi commentary box. Aakash Chopra first commented, "10-carat ka heera hain ye" (He is a 10-carat diamond).

Shikhar Dhawan, who was a great opening partner of Rohit, replied with "Kehte hain ki kisi ke naak main heera, kisi ke kaan main heera, mujhe heero se matlab kya, mera to yaar hain heera" (They say that someone has a diamond in their nose, someone has a diamond in their ear, what do I care about diamonds, my friend is a diamond) 

Shikhar Dhawan for Rohit Sharma:

"Kisi ke naak me heera, kisi ke kaan me heera. Mujhe unse kya lena dena, kyonki mera to yaar hi hain Heera"🥹❤️
pic.twitter.com/IORq7DmAoi

— Kuljot (@Ro45Kuljot) February 20, 2025

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were great opening partners

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were one of the best opening partners in Indian white-ball cricket history. As the opening partners, they recorded 5148 partnership runs in ODIs and 1743 partnership runs in T20Is.

Love's Persistence: Finding Ways to Connect

This painful reality reveals the emotional burden on all concerned who are embroiled in the agonizing divorce and custody battle, whereby one in such a situation ends up being distant in the realization of human privilege, mainly since the spouse might be acting in such a manner as to thwart the functioning of the other party's natural right to meet with their offspring. In the face of considerable hurdles, however, his continuous efforts to reach out evidence his deep love and commitment.

Shikhar Dhawan said, "I still message my son, even though I'm blocked from everywhere".

- An emotional interview of Gabbar!pic.twitter.com/UesiSw3CLU

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 16, 2025

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Shikhar Dhawan's words resonate with valid anguish:"I try to message my son even though I am blocked everywhere." This hints that Dhawan has been formally cut off from communicating with his son, Zoravar, due to a challenging divorce and custody battle. It may well be that he has been barred from all contact by various means phone calls, messaging and social media, and possibly even emails. Still, he continues to put his messages to Zoravar in the fond hope that maybe one day they'll get through or simply because he's trying to give expression to his love and keep a one-sided dialogue open.

With a week to go  for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed the lineup of Event Ambassadors that will feature to add to the fan experience.

Pakistan’s 2017 winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed features in an all-star cast that also boasts two-time champion, Australia’s Shane Watson, Player of the Series in India’s 2013 trophy-winning campaign, Shikhar Dhawan, and New Zealand’s legendary fast bowler, Tim Southee.

THE BRAND AMBASSADORS FOR CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2025:

- Shikhar Dhawan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shane Watson, Tim Southee. pic.twitter.com/a2A49dmB0R

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 12, 2025

Brand Ambassadors view on this mega event :

Sarfaraz Ahmed: “I will never forget how special it felt to don the white jackets and lift the trophy aloft as Pakistan captain back in 2017. Seeing the nation get behind us and celebrate that success is also something that’s very close to my heart, so I am delighted to see the competition return to the cricket calendar and see my country given the opportunity to host such a special event. The format means that every game is so important, and I can’t wait to play my part as an Ambassador and witness the tournament first-hand.”

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Shikhar Dhawan: “It is such a special feeling to be part of a Champions Trophy, and to be given the opportunity to enjoy the upcoming edition as an Ambassador is an honour. Over the next few weeks, we’ll see the best sides in the world competing for the white jackets knowing that one mistake or one loss could spell the end of their hopes. It’s the ultimate competition where it’s all on the line, and that is what makes it such a thrilling spectacle.”

Tim Southee: “I am thrilled to be an Ambassador for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. It is an event that I always enjoyed playing in and one that always delivers on entertainment and drama. As a player, you’re aware that every game, every ball and every moment matters in the Champions Trophy format, and with so much at stake, I can’t wait to see how the action will unfold.”

Shane Watson: “The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy is a truly unique event that has provided us with so many unforgettable moments down the years. With the top eight teams going head-to-head for the iconic white jackets, we are sure to see some extraordinary do-or-die cricket across three thrilling weeks.”

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 edition kickstarts from February 19. The 9th edition of the tournament will be played in Pakistan and UAE (only for India matches). The top eight teams that qualified for the Champions Trophy from the 2023 World Cup will grind it hard to win the title.

With over eight editions being played, the tournament has seen it all amidst the clashes between the best versus best sides. One such element would be veteran batting campaigners who have shown their impact by scoring some pivotal and large count of runs. That said, here are the top five batters with the most runs across the ICC Champions Trophy timeline.

2024 was replete with ups and downs for people who love Indian cricket. India didn't win the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, but they finally got their hands on the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy, with Rohit Sharma steering the team. This year, three iconic T20 players stopped playing, and more than seven Indian players stopped playing for their country at the international level.

Let's dive into who these players are.

1. Saurabh Tiwary (Retired from all formats)

Saurabh Tiwary, the man who swung his bat with his left hand and even scored 49 runs in three matches for India's ODI team in 2010, decided he had enough of professional cricket right after the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season wrapped up in February 2024. Tiwary made this choice because his performance wasn't to par at the local level anymore Tiwary, who had been part of the cricket world for 17 years materializing on the scene notably with Jharkhand in first-class cricket and remaining in the IPL till 2021 announced in 2024 that his cricket-playing days were over. That person who played for India in a few games said he is finished with playing professional cricket after being on the fields for nearly two decades.

2. Varun Aaron (Retired from all formats)

Varun Aaron from Jharkhand was very quick at bowling with his right arm. Aaron said goodbye to cricket at the close of the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season. People thought he was going to be great because he was very quick but he was often injured. Aaron managed to play in nine tests and nine ODIs for India between 2011 and 2015, and during that time, he took 29 wickets when playing against other countries.

ALSO READ:Gavaskar Backs Nitish Reddy Over Hardik Pandya as a Better Test Cricketer

3. Dinesh Karthik (Retired from all formats)

Dinesh Karthik retired from all forms of cricket international, domestic, and even the IPL after the IPL 2024 wrapped up. Karthik put an end to his impressive career. Starting way back in September 2004 playing for India, 2022 saw his last game during the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia. Through it all, Karthik played in 26 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 60 T20 games.Karthik did not simply play he scored a total of 3,463 runs that includes a century and 17 half-centuries.

4. Kedar Jadhav (Retired from all formats)

Kedar June 2024, Kedar Jadhav said he's retiring from all kinds of cricket; this person, who was 39, played several games for India - 73 ODIs and 9 T20Is to be exact. Jadhav was a solid player in the middle of the lineup who could also add some good spin bowling to the mix, catching 27 wickets in ODIs with an average score of 42. On top of that, he demonstrated his skills in 95 IPL games for five different teams, performing well both when hitting the ball and when throwing the ball.

5.Virat Kohli (Retired from T20Is)

In his last game for India in the tournament against South Africa, Virat Kohli shared that he was retiring from T20Is. Virat Kohli made a very big announcement after India won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 he was stepping down from T20I cricket. Starting his T20I journey in 2010 against Zimbabwe, Kohli had a great series of performances. Over his career, he participated in 125 T20Is, scoring 4,188 runs, which averages out to 48.69 this includes hitting one hundred and 38 half-centuries. Kohli is considered a legendary cricketer around the world.

6. Rohit Sharma (Retired from T20Is)

After taking India to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit Sharma said goodbye to T20Is. This includes an amazing five hundreds, 32 fifties, and an incredible 205 sixes, setting the record for the most in T20Is. Many achievements made him the premier run-maker in T20I history when he decided to stop playing.

7. Ravindra Jadeja (Retired from T20Is)

Ravindra Jadeja retired from T20I cricket post the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, and he was an essential player for India for over ten years. Even though he wasn't the best in the tournament, his role playing both as a batter and a bowler was vitally important for India. Starting his journey in 2009, he participated in 74 T20Is, took 54 wickets with a decent economy rate of 7.13, and notched up 515 runs.

8. Shikhar Dhawan (Retired from all formats)

Shikhar Dhawan, a key player in India's win at the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, said goodbye to cricket in all forms, the IPL included, in August 2024. Dhawan was last seen playing for India in December 2022. Dhawan's journey in international cricket began in 2010 and wrapped up in 2022; throughout his career, he played in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is.Dhawan scored a whopping 10,867 runs, with an average of 42.28. Also, he hit 24 hundreds and 55 fifties.

9. Barinder Sran (Retired from all formats)

Barinder Sran, who is a left-arm pace bowler from Punjab, chose to hang up his boots when he was 31 years old. When he first appeared on the international stage for India during a T20 match against Zimbabwe in June 2016, he did very well at the beginning bagging 4 wickets and giving up just 10 runs. This debut is still the top first-game showing by any Indian player in T20Is. Despite this spectacular beginning, he didn't become as famous or successful as everyone thought he would in international cricket. Over his career, he got to play in six One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and a couple of T20 International matches, catching a total of 13 wickets.

10. Wriddhiman Saha (Retired from all formats)

Wriddhiman Saha, the person who kept wicket and hit runs for India, decided he was done playing cricket at every level on November 3, 2024. His plan was to stop playing cricket after the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season finished. Saha had his moments playing 40 tests and nine ODIs from 2010 to 2021, where he knocked 1,353 runs in tests which even included conjoining three whole centuries. Despite that, superstars like MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant often took the spotlight, leaving Saha's last match for India in 2021, playing against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium.

11. Siddarth Kaul (Retired from all formats)

Indian bowler Siddarth Kaul announced his retirement on November 28, 2024. Kaul, 34, represented India in three ODIs and three T20Is, taking four wickets in T20Is but none in ODIs.

12. Ravichandran Ashwin (Retired from all formats)

After the third test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Brisbane in 2024-25, Ravichandran Ashwin, who plays spin-bowling all-rounder for India, said he's retiring.  Ashwin first played in 2010 and has been in 106 tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is since then. Mr. Ashwin has gotten 537 players out in tests, 156 in ODIs, and 72 in T20Is. Ashwin didn't only throw -- he could bat, too, earning 3,503 runs in tests, including hitting six centuries and fourteen fifties. Something exceptionally wonderful about him?Ashwin's tied with Muttiah Muralitharan for getting the most Man of the Series awards in test cricket, which is 11 times.

2024 has indeed been a year of significant retirements in Indian cricket, marking the end of an era for some of the game's greatest players.

Things haven't gone according to plan for Rohit Sharma & Co. as India unexpectadly crashed out against the Kiwis in the three-match Test series and were severly jolted to its core. The devastating series defeat has caused a crisis like situation to develop in the Indian camp. As the nation and it's fans try to come in terms with the ongoing situation, all eyes will be on Rohit and how he pulls his side out of misery as they prepare to face the battle-hardened Australians in the upcoming BGT tour down under.

With the WTC qualification chances also in jeopardy, there are moutning concerns than hopes as to how India can get their campaign back on track in this ongoing WTC cycle. Despite enduring such diificulties, former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan has utmost belief in Rohit's ability to lead the Indian side to glory in the fourthcoming BGT tour.     

Dhawan's special relationship with Rohit and why he remains hopeful

Rohit and Dhawan both have a fair share of extraordinary batting memories. The duo formed one of the most deadliest opening pairs in Indian cricket history. Dhawan vividly remembers the partnership he had with Rohit in one of the league matches of the 2013 Champions Trophy edition against South Africa. Dhawan went on to smash a century in that match on a challenging seaming wicket and Rohit too played his role of a pinch-hitter at the top shamshing eight fours and one six. That partnership helped India set the tone for a gigantic first innings total and as a result, India emerged victorious in that game by a decisive margin of 26 runs.  

Dhawan has observed Rohit a lot closely during his playing days and he remains fully optimistic of his true capabilities. The retired Indian batter believes that the Indian skipper will come good and peak just when his side requires him to deliver the much needed goods. India have previously triumphed in the earlier two BGT editions in Australia. Virat was the first Indian captain to lead India to their first-ever Test series win on Aussie soil in 2018-19 while India, under Rahane's leadership went on to win the 2020-21 series by 2-1. Now it is time for Rohit Sharma and team to register the third consecetive BGT series win on the trot. 

Punjab Kings’ captain Shikhar Dhawan is facing a shoulder injury, confirmed by coach Sanjay Bangar. This setback could keep him out of action for at least a week, possibly longer. As a result, Dhawan might miss two upcoming IPL 2024 matches: against Mumbai Indians on April 18 and Gujarat Titans on April 21, both scheduled at home in Mullanpur.

In the absence of Dhawan, Sam Curran took charge during the toss for Punjab Kings, leading to some confusion as Jitesh Sharma had represented the team during the captains’ conference in Chennai earlier in the season.

“He’s having a shoulder injury…”

“So he is likely to be out for at least a couple of days, I would say,” Bangar said. “Having an experienced opener, somebody like Shikhar, who has experience of playing on such wickets, becomes extremely crucial [for the team].

“We have to wait and see how he responds to the treatment. At the moment, it seems that he could be out of action for at least seven-ten days.”

“No, no, he [Jitesh] wasn’t the designated vice-captain,” Bangar added. “The impression could have been because he attended the captains’ seminar, or meeting, at the start of the IPL. But the thought was always that… because Sam has led the team in the previous year as well; he was late to arrive from UK and he wanted to have a few [training] sessions, that’s the reason we couldn’t send him to Chennai. Hence Jitesh was sent, because the directive was that a player has to attend.

“It wasn’t the case that Jitesh was the stand-in captain. We were very clear in our mind that if at all there had to be an opening, Sam Curran will be taking over and do the job as the captain.”

Although Dhawan’s performance with the bat hasn’t been exceptional in IPL 2024, he remains Punjab Kings’ highest run-scorer with 152 runs from five innings, averaging 30.40 with a strike rate of 125.61. However, the team’s struggles at the top of the order have contributed significantly to their four losses in six games, leaving them at the eighth spot on the table.

Dhawan’s absence creates void in Punjab Kings

Dhawan’s opening partner, Jonny Bairstow, has also faced challenges, managing only 96 runs in six innings, while Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma have struggled for consistency and impact with 119 and 106 runs respectively in six innings each.

Bangar said, “Certainly is a cause for concern that the top order is not making enough runs for us.” He added, “They are trying hard – I am not saying that they are not applying themselves – but it’s just not coming. Low-scoring games, especially at Mullanpur, the way the wicket is… that also has a factor. Because if you see, some of the scores have been pretty low.

“All the three games that we have played here, in the first six overs, with the new ball, the wicket tends to just jag a little bit, and uneven bounce as well. So maybe that is also a contributing factor because, not only us, the visiting teams and their top order are facing issues.”

See Also: IPL 2024: MS Dhoni just 25 runs away to create CSK vs MI IPL history

In their recent match, with Dhawan sidelined, Punjab Kings experimented with Atharva Taide at the top, who scored 15 runs in 12 balls. Despite their efforts, the team posted a total of 147 for 8 against Rajasthan Royals, ending up on the losing side in a low-scoring game at Mullanpur.

The Punjab Kings faced an unexpected turn of events just before their crucial IPL match against the Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur, Chandigarh. Regular captain Shikhar Dhawan was notably absent during the pre-match formalities.

Toss Update: Rajasthan Royals win the toss and elect to bowl against Punjab Kings.

Details of the Toss

In a surprising development, all-rounder Sam Curran represented Punjab Kings at the toss, standing opposite Rajasthan Royals’ captain Sanju Samson. The Royals won the toss and elected to field first, setting the stage for an intriguing encounter.

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Reason Behind Dhawan’s Absence

Addressing the curious spectators and commentators, Sam Curran disclosed that Shikhar Dhawan had sustained a minor injury, which sidelined him for the game. “Shikhar picked up a niggle, that’s why I’m here,” explained Curran during the toss interview.

Impact on Team Strategy

The absence of Dhawan prompted several adjustments within the PBKS lineup. “We would have bowled first as well, but now we need to focus on putting a competitive score on the board,” Curran remarked. The team saw Atharva Taide stepping in for Dhawan, with Liam Livingstone making a return, enhancing the team’s batting depth.

Rajasthan Royals Team Composition

Rajasthan Royals were not without their challenges. Captain Sanju Samson revealed that key players Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin were also sidelined due to health issues. Jos (Buttler) isn’t 100% fit and R Ashwin is having a niggle. Their spots were filled by Rovman Powell and Tanush Kotian, aiming to maintain the team’s competitive edge.

Game Strategy

Samson expressed a clear focus on process over outcome. “Our goal is to focus on the process, despite the challenges posed by missing key players,” he stated, setting a resilient tone for his team.