[Watch] "Each shot feels like a reunion with an old friend"- Shikhar Dhawan hits the nets after enjoying a break

Veteran Indian batter Shikhar Dhawan has commenced his batting practice sessions to get himself ready for the upcoming IPL 2024 season. He was last seen on the field during IPL 2023.

The 38-year-old has been away from international cricket since last year as the selectors have opted to give chances to youngsters like Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan.

The duo proved themselves with consistent performances, managing to keep Dhawan out of the reckoning for the 2023 World Cup. However, Shikhar is yet to announce his retirement from international cricket.

Dhawan took to his official Instagram handle on Monday (December 11) and shared a reel to update his fans that he has commenced his batting practice sessions after enjoying a break. He also added the trending song Jamal Kudu (From "ANIMAL" movie) to the reel. Dhawan wrote in the caption:

"Returning to the cricket pitch, where each shot feels like a reunion with an old friend."

You can watch the video below:

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Shikhar Dhawan will lead Punjab Kings in IPL 2024 as they retained him ahead of mini-auction

Shikhar Dhawan endured a turbulent IPL 2023 in his maiden stint as the captain of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) franchise. Under his leadership, PBKS ended in the eighth position in the points table. However, the Punjab management continue to put their faith in Dhawan as they retained him for the upcoming season.

Players retained by PBKS for IPL 2024: Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Jitesh Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Matthew Short, Atharva Taide, Harpreet Bhatia, Rishi Dhawan, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Liam Livingstone, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Shivam Singh, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Vidwath Kaverappa, Kagiso Rabada and Nathan Ellis.

Player released by PBKS: Raj Angad Bawa, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mohit Rathee, Shahrukh Khan and Baltej Dhanda.

Shikhar Dhawan scored 373 runs at an average of 41.44 in 11 games in IPL 2023, including three half-centuries. He missed out on a well-deserved fighting century against SRH in one of the matches as he was left stranded on 99* at the end.

The southpaw will be eager to perform more consistently and lead his side from the front in the upcoming season.