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Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan has talked about the most difficult phase of his cricketing career. The southpaw served Team India in international cricket from 2010 to 2022 and during this period, he scored 10867 runs in 269 matches across all formats. Appearing on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, Dhawan revealed that back in 2016, he got hit by a delivery from New Zealand star pacer Trent Boult in a Test match, held at the iconic Eden Gardens and played with a broken arm. He also added that he got dropped from Team India’s Test side following that match.
“The most difficult phase of my career, there was a time when I was really desperate. I knew that if I don't score runs I would be out of the team. We had a Test match in Kolkata, against New Zealand. First innings I got out, second innings I went out and got hit by a ball by Trent Boult, it broke my arm. I knew that if I choose to sit out of that innings, I would be out of that team. So I decided no, I'm going to play, I'm going to see out the innings. I'm dead either way, so might as well die completely on the pitch and go out). I played with a broken arm, got out on 15-20 runs, and after that I was out of the Test team,” said Dhawan on Allahbadia’s podcast.
Shikhar Dhawan’s Test records
Shikhar Dhawan started his Test career with a bang in 2013, smashing a sensational 187 against Australia in Mohali. Despite starting his red-ball career in an exceptional style, he couldn’t do big, and finished scoring only 2315 runs in 58 innings of 34 matches. In September 2018, he played his last Test match for India with his appearance against England at The Oval.
Dhawan was active in competitive cricket until 2024. In the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), he served Punjab Kings (PBKS) as a captain. In August 2024, he retired from all forms of the sport.
