Team India's opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan, who is known for his jolly attitude on and off the field, opened up how he got the nickname 'Gabbar'.
Speaking to India TV's Chairman and Editor-In-Chief, Rajat Sharma in the show, 'Aap Ki Adalat', Dhawan went down the memory lane to recall the Ranji Trophy game when his witty filmy one-liner got him 'Gabbar' as a nickname. It was none other than his Delhi Ranji Trophy coach Vijay Dahiya who gave him the title of 'Gabbar'.
"I was playing in the Ranji Trophy. Our side was fielding and I was standing at silly point. The two batsmen had a big partnership, and just to cheer the teammates, I started shouting random dialogues from Sholay. 'Bahut yaarana lagta hai," I would say randomly, Umpires couldn't stop me either, because it wasn't a sledge. Our coach Vijay Dahiya then named me Gabbar," Shikhar Dhawan told IndiaTV.
The 33-year-old is also quite famous for his swagger on the field with his unique antics. Dhawan's moustache twirl has become a rage among cricket fans across the globe. Dhawan revealed his 'moustache twirl' has a connection with his debut Test hundred in which he smashed a sensational century off 85 balls.
"It started when I scored a century in Test debut. While I was going back to the dressing room during the tea break, I twirled my moustache in celebration. It had become a norm since," Dhawan said.
On his Test debut against Australia in 2013, Dhawan slammed a destructive 187 runs off 174 balls to announce his arrival on the biggest stage.
Dhawan also talked about his hobby of playing the flute, which he quite often shares on his social media accounts.
"I was fascinated by the sounds of flutes during my childhood. In 2015, I decided to learn the instrument online. Similarly, when I made a trip to Vaishno Devi, I developed a love for horses," he recalled.
Dhawan also spoke at length regarding his marriage.
Dhawan tied the knot with Ayesha Mukherjee on 30th October 2012 and it has been seven years almost since the pair is together. The Delhi-born batsman has revealed how his wife scolded him during the initial stage of marriage because of his poor run in IPL.
"It was the first year of our marriage. I was playing in the IPL, and in one of the games, I went out without scoring many runs. My wife shouted at me, "What was that shot!?!" and I was stunned. Even our coach doesn't criticize us this much! Slowly, though, she understood that I carry a lot of pressure and need support in such times," Dhawan revealed.
He also spilled the beans on how his love story with Ayesha begun.
"We met on Facebook. I initially didn't believe that love can happen over the internet, but it did! I used to write letters to her through mails as well, and I still do," he said.
The senior opening batsman also shredded light on fitness culture in Team India and how it's changing the attitude of the team in a positive way.
"It's a culture imbibed in the system. We are scanned for percentage of fats and muscles. We get feedbacks for change in diets, and it helps us improve. It's a positive change,” Dhawan concluded.
