Former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan recounted his first meeting with iconic captain MS Dhoni in his autobiography, The One: Cricket, My Life and More. Dhawan made his ODI debut for India in a home series against Australia in 2010, with Dhoni leading the side.
He later earned his Test debut in 2013, also under Dhoni’s captaincy, during a match in Mohali against the same Australian team. Dhawan played a key role in India’s 2013 Champions Trophy victory, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer and contributing to Dhoni’s third ICC title as captain.
Reflecting on his initial encounter with MS Dhoni, Dhawan shared in his book (as quoted by the Indian Express):
“I wanted to cast him in a Bollywood movie; he looked like a film star with that long hair and easy smile. We were having a chat about my motivation when I suddenly blurted out, ‘I want to play for India and I want to make you a Bollywood hero!’ He threw back his head and laughed.”
Dhawan also confessed to feeling nervous on the eve of his India debut in 2010, stating:
“Before the first ODI in Kochi, I was so nervous I couldn’t sleep — only for rain to wash out the match. Ahead of the second game in Vizag, I took a sleeping pill to calm my nerves, fearing another sleepless night might affect my performance.”
Shikhar Dhawan Reflects On How Social Media Has Changed Cricket Narratives
Shikhar Dhawan mentioned that social media had a minimal influence when he was breaking into the Indian team in 2010. He acknowledged that its rise over the years has played a major role in shaping and shifting perceptions about players and teams almost instantly.
“When I was trying to break into the Indian side, social media was still nascent and cricketers were under a lot less scrutiny. But other media platforms – print and broadcast – were thriving. However, unlike the current times in which social media can transform cricketers from ‘hero’ to ‘zero’ almost overnight, narratives took a lot longer to change back in those days, said Dhawan (via the aforementioned source).”
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