look news india
Team India's star player Shikhar Dhawan has announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket. Although till now there was suspense over his playing in the IPL, but as soon as he announced to play in the Legends League Cricket (LLC) on Monday, it became clear that he will not play in the IPL. Actually, only retired or senior players are seen playing in LLC. The rule of IPL is that no Indian player can play in any other league. In such a situation, Dhawan will no longer be able to play IPL. What was the reason that Shikhar Dhawan had to take the decision to retire from IPL as well.
Aging and fitness
Shikhar Dhawan is 38 years old. He will turn 39 in December. At this stage of age, the player has to face fitness related problems. Even though Mahendra Singh Dhoni is playing in the IPL even at the age of 43, the franchise is still concerned about his fitness. He was seen struggling with a knee injury during IPL 2024. He has also undergone surgery for this. Similarly, Shikhar Dhawan also suffered a shoulder injury while captaining Punjab Kings in IPL 2024. Due to which he could play only 5 matches. Sam Curran captained Punjab in his place. In a tournament like Legends League, the fitness of the players does not matter as much as it does in IPL. In such a situation, Dhawan's age and fitness may be the reason for leaving the IPL.
Strike rate is a matter of concern
Shikhar Dhawan's strike rate is quite low. In IPL 2024, he scored 152 runs in 5 matches at an average of 30.40 and a strike rate of 125.62. Which included a half-century. While his strike rate in 2023 was 142.91, 122.67 in 2022 and 124.62 in 2021. Dhawan is far behind in terms of the strike rate required for IPL. His strike rate has come down in the last few years. Despite a good average, he seemed a bit of a misfit in this format. Even as a captain, he could not prove himself. The team finished ninth in IPL 2024 and eighth in 2023. Reports have also revealed that Punjab Kings are looking for another option as captain. Rohit Sharma is being monitored for this. If Dhawan had come to the IPL auction, it is possible that he would not have got the expected amount.
Big Offer from LLC!
The tournament purse is constantly increasing season after season of the privately owned Legends League Cricket (LLC). This year the purse has increased to Rs 60 crore. In such a situation, in the last two years, players have earned around Rs 150 crore from Legends League Cricket. In such a situation, players have started getting a good amount. It is possible that Dhawan has got a big offer from the League of Legends. Players like Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Gautam Gambhir, Sreesanth, Yusuf Pathan, Aaron Finch, Martin Guptill have played after retirement.