Canada’s top T20I run-scorer and former captain, Navneet Dhaliwal, has revealed his decision to retire from international cricket following the conclusion of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. Dhaliwal’s farewell match in the national team’s colors will be against Afghanistan during the tournament’s final group stage clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Having already planned his retirement before the World Cup, Dhaliwal expressed his premeditated choice, stating, “I took the decision before I came here. I’ve been playing for more than 12 years now, so it was planned, and this is going to be my last match,” as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
During his cricket career, Dhaliwal made his debut for Canada in 2015 and emerged as the leading run-getter in T20Is for the team, accumulating 1305 runs in 48 matches. Additionally, he featured in 18 ODIs, contributing 456 runs to the team’s tally.
Reflecting on his tenure as Canada’s captain, Dhaliwal highlighted his success, having led the team to victory in 21 out of 25 matches under his captaincy. Despite two losses as skipper, Dhaliwal cherished his performance of scoring 61 off 44 balls in his inaugural T20 World Cup appearance.
Looking ahead, Dhaliwal aims to transition into a coaching role post-retirement, focusing on nurturing cricket talent at the grassroots level in Canada. Expressing his aspirations, he mentioned, “I’m thinking of coaching but not at the national level, my priority would be the youngsters. That’s something that would give me happiness.”
As Canada faced setbacks in the ongoing T20 World Cup, losing all initial group stage matches, the team anticipates a positive conclusion to their campaign as they prepare to take on Afghanistan.
