“Your trademark smile will be missed” – Virat Kohli reacts to Shikhar Dhawan’s retirement

India’s talisman Virat Kohli wished his former teammate Shikhar Dhawan after the left-hander announced his retirement from all formats of the game on Saturday. Kohli and Dhawan not only played for India together but shared the same dressing room for Delhi in the domestic circuit.

The Delhi teammates shared a great bonhomie with each other and in one of his interviews, Kohli had claimed that Dhawan is his best friend in the Indian team.

Dhawan played 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is scoring 2315, 6793, and 1579 runs respectively in the three formats.

The southpaw also scored a fantastic 187 on his Test debut against Australia at the IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, which is still India’s highest individual score on Test debut.

Kohli wrote on X, previously Twitter, “@SDhawan25 from your fearless debut to becoming one of India’s most dependable openers, you’ve given us countless memories to cherish. Your passion for the game, your sportsmanship and your trademark smile will be missed, but your legacy lives on.

“Thank you for the memories, unforgettable performances and always leading with your heart. Wishing you the best in your next innings, off the field Gabbar!”

Dhawan was known as the man of big tournaments as he performed consistently during the major events. 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.

Dhawan once again finished the leading run-getter in the 2017 Champions Trophy, scoring 338 runs in five matches at an average of 67.60. The left-hander was India’s leading run-scorer in the 2015 World Cup as well, as he amassed 412 runs in eight matches at an average of 51.50.

The whole cricket fraternity wished Dhawan well for the second innings of his life.