Taking to social media on Sunday, Virat Kohli said Shikhar Dhawan’s characteristic passion and smile will be missed in the Indian dressing-room following his international retirement.

 

Kohli and Dhawan formed one of the most successful ODI partnerships for India. (REUTERS)

Kohli and Dhawan formed one of the most successful ODI partnerships for India. (REUTERS)

India batter Virat Kohli wrote a touching tribute for his long-time India and Delhi teammate Shikhar Dhawan following the latter’s retirement on Saturday.

Taking to social media on Sunday, Kohli said Dhawan’s characteristic passion and smile will be missed in the Indian dressing-room.

“Shikhar, 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,” Kohli wrote on X.

While Kohli made his international debut in 2008, Dhawan, his Delhi senior made his first appearance in 2010. Dhawan has since played a majority of his career under Kohli’s captaincy. The duo played 221 international matches together, amassing 20,780 runs. Kohli and Dhawan recorded over 3400 ODI runs in their partnerships with a 60-plus average, the best for any pair who has scored as many runs as them in the format.

The duo were instrumental in India’s Champions Trophy win in 2013 and Dhawan also finished as India’s highest run-scorer in the 2017 Champions Trophy in England under Kohli’s leadership. The pair have also maintained a healthy camaraderie off the field where Dhawan has urged that the former India captain was one of the first players he had turned to during a poor stretch of form.

Together with India captain Rohit Sharma, the trio formed a potent top-order for India in the limited-overs formats between 2013 and 2019, topping the charts among all internatinal batters in one-dayers in the period.