Virat Kohli on Shikhar Dhawan's retirement: 'One of India's most dependable openers'

New Delhi: Senior batter Virat Kohli on Sunday hailed Shikhar Dhawan as one of India's most dependable openers, noting that while his fervour, sportsmanship and signature smile will be missed, his enduring legacy will forever resonate.

The premier top-order batter, Dhawan announced his retirement from all form of cricket on Saturday.

"Shikhar @SDhawan25 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," Kohli wrote on X.

The former India skipper thanked Dhawan, fondly known as 'Gabbar', for all the memories and wished the 38-year-old luck for his future endeavours.

"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!" he added.

In the 34 Tests, 167 ODIs and 68 T20Is he played, Dhawan scored 10,867 runs in international cricket -- the 12th most for India -- with 24 centuries and 79 fifty-plus scores.

He went on to become the player of the tournament in India's Champions Trophy victory in 2013 by scoring most runs (363) in the 2013 edition.

Along with Kohli and Rohit Sharma, he formed an unmatched triumvirate in the international white-ball formats from 2013 to 2019.

Dhawan and Kohli shared a deep bond on and off the field. Both batters hail from West Delhi and came through the system at almost the same time as youngsters.

Kohli and Dhawan were teammates for the Indian team for almost a decade.