Indian opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan is celebrating his 39th birthday today on December 5, 2024. Rising to prominence in the late 2000s with his stylish strokeplay and impressive performances, Dhawan quickly earned a place in the Indian cricket team. After a memorable debut in 2010, he shone in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
Shikhar Dhawan’s Career Stats
Dhawan’s Test debut against Australia in March 2013 stands out as one of his most memorable innings. On March 14, Dhawan scored 187 in his first Test match at Mohali. Dhawan also achieved the fastest century off 85 balls. On his Test debut, this was also the highest score ever achieved by an Indian cricket player.
Later that year, during India’s first game of the 2013 Champions Trophy, Dhawan made another game-winning knock. In Cardiff, Dhawan and Rohit Sharma opened the innings for India against South Africa. With 114 off 94 balls, the Men in Blue reached a game-winning 331/7. Dhawan’s greatest ODI score was achieved on March 10, 2019, at the Punjab Cricket Association against Australia.
Shikhar Dhawan’s Life Post-retirement
In a match against Bangladesh in December 2022, Shikhar Dhawan last wore the Indian jersey. Dhawan officially announced his retirement from international cricket in 2024 after a gap of two years.
Origin of Shikhar Dhawan’s ‘Gabbar’ nickname
Shikhar Dhawan gained the unique nickname “Gabbar” during his illustrious cricket career because of his incredible innings. He revealed the story behind the nickname. In an interview with SportsTak, as per multiple outlets, he said, “I was playing in the Ranji Trophy and was sitting at silly point. When the other team has a big partnership, then the players tend to get down. When I was sitting, I used to shout, ‘Bahut yaarana hai s*** ** n’, and everyone used to burst out laughing. Our coach (Vijay) kept my name Gabbar, from there only. From there, the name became so famous that cricket fans all over the world now call me Gabbar only.”
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