“He doesn’t take anything personally” – Ravichandran Ashwin on Shikhar Dhawan’s jovial nature

India’s veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up on Shikhar Dhawan’s jovial nature. Dhawan was always known to wear a smile on his face and Ashwin, who shared a great bonhomie with him, said he doesn’t take anything personally.

Dhawan recently announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The southpaw took to his social media account to make the announcement on Saturday. The left-hander played 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is scoring 2315, 6793, and 1579 runs respectively in the three formats.

Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “Very funny guy. He doesn’t take anything personally. He is one of those few guys who can take a great joke on himself. He can make a joke about himself. That is a great quality. He will laugh at the first moment in the joke.”

While congratulating Dhawan on a successful career, Ashwin said, “Very, very well done, Shikhar Dhawan on a wonderful career. I wish you will be the same. Jolly old spirit, happiness. I don’t doubt that. A positive person like Shikhar. He enjoys life. He has an exuberance. At the same time, he is very smart.”

Meanwhile, Dhawan was a consistent performer for India in major ICC events and his performances in the big tournaments were always a standout. The southpaw scored 363 runs (highest in the tournament) in five matches of the 2013 Champions Trophy at an average of 90.75 and played an instrumental role in taking the team to glory. 

“My favourite moments of Shikhar Dhawan. He is very underrated. Virat, Rohit Sharma. Shikhar has gone under the radar. Shikhar Dhawan has been the go-to player for some top performances. 2013, the entire Champions Trophy was Shikhar Dhawan’s Trophy.”

Dhawan also scored a fantastic 187 on his Test debut against Australia at the IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali.

“One of my favorite moments. His debut Test against Australia, he scored 180 odd runs. He didn’t take part in any other Test matches. He has scored in a lot of innings. And his part at Sunrisers Hyderabad, an unsung hero of Sunrisers Hyderabad,” he added.

Dhawan has signed up for Legends League Cricket after announcing his retirement.