NEW DELHI: Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan has joined Karnali Yaks and will take part in the inaugural season of the Nepal Premier League (NPL). Dhawanโs decision came days after Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Punjab Kings (PBKS) have released him ahead of the 2025 mega-auction.
In IPL 2024, Shikhar Dhawan represented the Punjab-based franchise in 5 matches and scored 152 runs at a strike rate of 125.62. His time with the Kings in IPL 2024 was cut short after he suffered an injury which forced him out of the field for the rest of the season.
Taking to X, Karnali Yaks announced the signing of Shikhar Dhawan. โKarnali Yaks is bringing the fierce energy of โGabbarโ himself, Shikhar Dhawan, to the Nepal Premier League! With his dynamic style and experience, heโs ready to shake things up. Brace yourselves because Gabbar has arrivedโ, Karnali Yaks wrote on X.
โ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐?โ
๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข ๐๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซโ ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ก๐ข๐ค๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ก๐๐ฐ๐๐ง, ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐! ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฒ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐โฆ pic.twitter.com/AyUWHYLgsS
โ Karnali Yaks (@KarnaliYaks) November 14, 2024
Earlier in August, Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket. The 38-year-old brought the curtains down on his illustrious career by taking to Instagram and sharing an emotional message to announce his decision.
In his illustrious career, runs effortlessly came off Dhawanโs bat. He represented India across all formats, but ODI was his forte. In 167 appearances, the southpaw produced swashbuckling performances and racked up 6,793 runs at an average of 44.1, including 17 centuries and 39 fifties.
In the longest format of cricket, where he stitched up memorable partnerships with Murali Vijay, Dhawan garnered 2,315 runs in 34 matches at an average of 40.6. His Test career was laced with seven tons and five half-centuries. In the T20I format, Dhawan made 68 appearances and scored 1,759 runs at an average of 27.9, including 11 fifties.
In the domestic circuit, Dhawan played 122 First-Class cricket matches and handsomely scored 8,499 runs at an average of 44.26, including 25 centuries and 29 fifties. (ANI)