One of the finest openers going around in white-ball cricket, Shikhar Dhawan celebrates his 35th birthday on Saturday (December 5) and wishes are pouring in for him from all around the world. Born in 1985, the left-handed batsman tends to attack from the outset and his ability to find gaps with ease even more lethal. Owing to his fearless approach, Dhawan has destroyed many potent bowling line-ups, and his record speaks volumes of his capability. Although the dasher has faced highs and lows in his career, his knack of delivering in high-profile games sets him apart from other players. KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal All Smiles in Shikhar Dhawan’s ‘Squad Goal’ Post.

Dhawan made his international debut in 2010, but it was the year 2013 where the world saw the southpaw’s prowess. He played some explosive knocks in both Tests and ODIs which left the bowlers in disarray. Although he couldn’t enjoy phenomenal success in Test cricket, he formed a potent opening pair with Rohit Sharma in white-ball cricket. Coming to his numbers, Dhawan scored 2315, 5808 and 1589 runs in 34 Test matches, 139 ODIs and 61 T20I games. As the talismanic batsman turns a year older, let’s revisit five of his best knocks.

92 vs West Indies in 2018

Dhawan registered his highest T20I score against West Indies in a nail-biting encounter in Chennai. Chasing 182 in the third T20I, India got off to a terrible with Rohit Sharma, and KL Rahul dismissed before the 50-run mark. Shikhar Dhawan, however, stitched up a brilliant partnership of 130 with Rishabh Pant and got the Men in Blue over the line. His innings of 92 runs in 62 deliveries included ten fours and two massive sixes.

187 vs Australia in 2013

Shikhar Dhawan’s Test debut was one to remember as the south-paw made a mockery of Australia’s bowling line-up, scoring 187 runs in his first-ever outing in the longest format. Notably, he replaced Virender Sehwag for the game and was proven to be an apt successor to the former Indian opener. He stitched up a massive partnership of 289 with Murali Vijay for the first wicket. His efforts proved to be fruitful as India won by six wickets.

114 vs South Africa in 2013

India’s 2013 Champions Trophy match against South Africa saw Gabbar scoring his maiden ODI century. Facing the likes of Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn, the southpaw played fearlessly and scored runs all over the park. In total, he scored 114 runs off just 94 balls as the Men in Blue powered to 331/7 and eventually won the encounter by 31 runs.

143 vs Australia in 2019

Shikhar Dhawan was at the peak of his prowess during the fourth ODI of Australia’s 2019 tour of India. After a string of low scores, he attacked the bowlers from the outset and scored runs all over the park. He also went on to register his highest ODI score (143) as the Men in Blue powered to 358/9. His efforts, however, went in vain as Australia recorded a famous four-wicket win.

137 vs South Africa in 2015

Another big game and another match-defining knock from India’s Gabbar. The Men in Blue had not managed to beat South Africa in World Cup encounters on three previous attempts, but the history changed in 2015 when Dhawan toiled the Proteas bowler. On a challenging Melbourne track, the southpaw scored 137 off 146 balls which included 16 boundaries and two sixes. His efforts helped India post 307/7, and they eventually won the game by 130 runs.

As of now, the dasher is in Australia for the limited-overs series. He started the tour well with an impressive 76 in the first ODI but hasn’t been able to make a significant mark since then. However, two more T20Is are still left in the series, and he’ll like to make an impact.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 05, 2020 07:49 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).