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Khawaja's Final Innings: Cummins, Dhawan Salute a Career of Grit & Grace

Australian opener Usman Khawaja has announced his retirement from international cricket, with his final match to be the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney. Captain Pat Cummins and Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan both paid tribute to Khawaja's successful 15-year career on social media. Khawaja revealed the decision was made after considerable thought and discussions with his wife, marking the end of a journey with over 8,000 international runs. His career highlights include being named the 2023 ICC Test Cricketer of the Year and winning the World Test Championship with Australia.

Key Points: Khawaja Retires: Cummins, Dhawan Pay Tribute to Aussie Opener

  • Retiring after Sydney Ashes Test
  • Tributes from Cummins & Dhawan
  • 2023 ICC Test Cricketer of the Year
  • Over 8,000 international runs
2 min read

'One more home century to go': Cummins, Dhawan pay tribute to retiring Khawaja

Pat Cummins & Shikhar Dhawan congratulate Usman Khawaja on his retirement after a 15-year career. He retires after the Sydney Ashes Test.

'One more home century to go': Cummins, Dhawan pay tribute to retiring Khawaja
"I've been thinking about it... I knew this was a big chance. - Usman Khawaja"

Sydney, Jan 2

Australia skipper Pat Cummins and former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan congratulated Usman Khawaja after the veteran Australian batter announced that he will retire from international cricket after the fifth and final Ashes Test, scheduled from January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The 39-year-old opener will retire as one of Australia's most prolific run-scorers; 30 more in his farewell Test will see him pass Michael Hussey's tally of 6,235 into 14th among Australian men.

Congratulating him on his successful international career of 15 years, Cummins posted a picture of himself celebrating a wicket with Khawaja. The skipper also hoped that Usman would score a century in his farewell Test. "Congratulations on an international career, mate. One more home century to go," he posted on X.

Dhawan also reacted to Khawaja's retirement call and lauded his journey while wishing him luck for his final match. "What a journey @Uz_Khawaja. Good luck for the last Test in Sydney and everything that comes next," Dhawan shared on X.

Speaking to the media at the SCG, Khawaja said the decision had been on his mind for some time and that discussions with his wife, Rachel, played a significant role in finalising it.

"I've been thinking about it, not wholly, but for a while. Moving into this series, I kind of had an inkling in my head that this would be the last series. I talked to Rachel about it a fair bit, and I knew this was a big chance. I didn't leave the door fully shut because I knew there was a chance I could play on. I know Andrew McDonald, even right till the very end when I told him a few days ago, was still thinking about how I could get to India," he told reporters on Friday.

In a career spanning 15 years, Khawaja has amassed over 8,000 international runs across formats while featuring in 87 Tests, 40 ODIs and nine T20Is. In 2023, Khawaja was named ICC Test Cricketer of the Year and Shane Warne Test Cricketer of the Year and also played in Australia's World Test Championship victory.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
It's nice to see Dhawan's message. Shows the respect between players across teams. Khawaja's journey, especially coming back into the Test side, has been inspiring. A true professional.
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Arjun K
Respect for Uzzie! He played some tough knocks against us in India and Australia. Always seemed like a thoughtful cricketer. Retirement timing seems perfect, going out on a high. All the best for life after cricket!
P
Priya S
Classy player. His technique was so solid. Interesting that he mentions discussions with his wife – shows how important family is in these big decisions. Wishing him and his family happiness. 🏏
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Michael C
A great servant to Australian cricket. His late-career resurgence was remarkable. From an Indian fan's perspective, we'll remember his gritty hundreds. Hope the SCG crowd gives him a proper send-off.
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Karthik V
One of the modern greats. His stats speak for themselves. While I wish he'd played more against us in the recent series, you have to respect a player who knows when it's time to go. Salute! 👏

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