Cricketing icon Shikhar Dhawan has shared an unexpected glimpse into his private life in his autobiography The One: Cricket, My Life and More. He recounts how, during the 2006 India A tour in Australia, he fell in love with a woman whom he affectionately calls “Ellen.”
The bond grew strong enough for Dhawan to sneak her into the hotel room he shared with fellow tour member Rohit Sharma, raising eyebrows within the squad.
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The southpaw also shared Rohit Sharma’s reaction when he smuggled his girl into the room
As quoted by Sportstar, Dhawan wrote in his autobiography,
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“My plan to meet up with this Englishwoman started taking shape, and we started partying regularly during that tour. She was very beautiful, and suddenly I was in love again! I thought to myself, ‘She is the one for me, and I am going to marry her. “
He added,
“After every game, I would go over to meet up with Ellen, and I soon started smuggling her into my hotel room, which I was sharing with Rohit Sharma. Now and then, he would complain in Hindi,
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“Mujhe sone dega?” (“Will you let me sleep?”)
Their little secret didn’t stay hidden for long. A senior selector on tour eventually spotted Dhawan and Ellen walking hand-in-hand in the hotel lobby, turning what was private into squad gossip, but he didn’t feel wrong about it. He said,
“One evening, when I headed for dinner with Ellen, news of her presence spread like wildfire throughout the entire squad. A senior national selector, who was on tour with us, spotted us walking in the lobby with our hands linked. It didn’t even occur to me that I should let go of her hand, because to me, we were committing no crime”
Dhawan candidly admits this romance impacted his on-field performance, missing the opportunity to break into India’s senior side on that tour.
While Shikhar Dhawan’s cricketing career is filled with iconic innings and unforgettable moments, it’s stories like these that remind fans of the person behind the jersey. His honest, light-hearted confession about sneaking a girlfriend into his hotel room, much to Rohit Sharma’s frustration, has added yet another layer to his public image that cements his reputation as one of cricket’s most relatable stars.
On-field Dhawan ended his international career as one of the greats of the game. He represented India in 167 ODIs, 68 T20Is, and 34 Tests, but truly made his mark in the 50-over format, where he scored 6,793 runs at an impressive average of 44.
He was last seen in the Indian jersey in December 2022 during an ODI series against Bangladesh. Despite his remarkable record in ICC tournaments and consistent performances over the years, Dhawan was left out of the 2023 ODI World Cup squad. In January 2024, he officially announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket, closing the chapter on a remarkable career.
What are your thoughts about Dhawan’s secret revelation? Let us know in the comments.
