Sports Desk:

Flamboyant Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from cricket on Saturday, saying he wanted to focus on moving forward in his life.

Dhawan, 38, last played a competitive game as captain of the Punjab Kings in this year’s edition of the glitzy Indian Premier League T20 tournament.

‘As I close this chapter of my cricketing journey, I carry with me countless memories and gratitude. Thank you for the love and support!’ he said in a social media post.

‘It’s important to turn the page to move forward in life and that’s why I am announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket.’

The left-hander scored 2,315 runs with seven centuries over 34 Tests.

He was prolific in ODIs, scoring 6,793 runs from 167 matches at an average of 44.11.

Dhawan represented four other teams in the IPL besides Punjab and he is the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer after Virat Kohli.

His 6,769 IPL runs came across 221 innings at a strike rate of 127.14.

He last played for India in an ODI series against Bangladesh in December 2022.

‘I am leaving with peace in my heart that I played so long for India,’ Dhawan said.

‘I’ve told myself don’t feel sad that you won’t play for India anymore, but feel happy that you played for the country.’