Canada stalwart bows out of international cricket
Navneet Dhaliwal to retire after T20WC 2026.
Former Canada captain Navneet Dhaliwal will call time on his international careef following his team’s last group game against Afghanistan in Chennai on Thursday.
The 37-year-old has been a mainstay in Canada’s batting line-up for over ten years and captained his side in T20Is, including the 2024 T20 World Cup.
"I took the decision before I came here. I've been playing for more than 12 years now," Dhaliwal said at Canada's pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow's fixture.
"So, it was planned and this is going to be my last match."
Dhaliwal made his Canada senior team debut at the World Cricket League 2 in January 2015 in Namibia on the back of an impressive performance for the Canada A team on a tour of Zimbabwe. He has 18 ODIs and 48 T20Is with international status to his name.
At the 2024 T20 World Cup, he sored 61 against USA to register Canada’s first half-century at a T20 World Cup and he is Canada’s highest run-scorer in T20Is. He has captained Canada in 29 T20Is, with the team winning 21.
Sublime shot-making from Dhaliwal | T20WC 2026
Canada's Navneet Dhaliwal middles it perfectly to find the rope against South Africa at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
After the side failed to gain ODI status at World Cricket League 2 back in 2019, Dhaliwal was a vital cog in the Canadian rebuild, claiming four Player of the Match performances in the 2019-2023 Cricket World Cup Challenge League across legs in Malaysia and at home.
After Canada reclaimed ODI status in 2023, Dhaliwal scored half-centuries against Nepal and Namibia in winning efforts in the ongoing Cricket World Cup League 2 cycle.
For Dhaliwal, however, making the cut for the 2024 World Cup remains the standout memory.
"The best memory was when we first qualified for the [2024 T20] World Cup," he said. "After that, I scored in the opening game of the World Cup last time. Also, when I became a captain, that was a proud moment for me."
Though his playing career may be over, Dhaliwal hopes to stay in touch with the game and contribute to the development of the new generation.
"I'm thinking of coaching but not on a national level," he said. "My priority would be the youngsters. That's something that would give me happiness. It's hard to leave cricket right away and once cricket is in your blood, it's very hard to stop playing.”
At the T20 World Cup 2026, Dhaliwal has scored 108 runs in three matches, including 64 against South Africa.
