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 following the fifth and final Ashes Test, scheduled from January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Khawaja’s Remarkable Career
The 39-year-old opener will retire as one of Australia’s most prolific run-scorers; just 30 more runs in his farewell Test would see him surpass Michael Hussey’s tally of 6,235, placing him 14th among Australian men.
Congratulating Khawaja on his successful 15-year international career, Cummins shared a picture of himself celebrating a wicket with the batter. He expressed his hope for Khawaja to score a century in his final match, saying, “Congratulations on an international career, mate. One more home century to go,” on X.
Dhawan also reacted to Khawaja’s retirement announcement, lauding his journey and 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 wrote on X.
Khawaja’s Reflections
Speaking to the media at the SCG, Khawaja revealed that this decision had been on his mind for some time, noting that discussions with his wife, Rachel, were pivotal in finalizing 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.
Career Achievements
In a career spanning 15 years, Khawaja has accumulated over 8,000 international runs across formats, featuring in 87 Tests, 40 ODIs, and nine T20Is. In 2023, he was named ICC Test Cricketer of the Year and Shane Warne Test Cricketer of the Year, and he also played a key role in Australia’s World Test Championship victory.