Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has been keeping his love affair very private. Despite the media reporters having provoked him to answer many times, he never opened up or disclosed it publicly. But now he has officially confirmed his relationship with Irish product consultant Sophie Shine. Although the announcement was late, it still sparked excited reactions among fans.
We all know that he is called by a nickname ‘Gabbar’ and now social media is flooded with that hashtag. As this is the first ever official announcement of Shikhar and Sophie’s relationship. Also, after the star cricketer had divorced Aesha Mukerji in 2023, this is the first time he is opening up about his private love.
Why is Shikhar Dhawan Called Gabbar?
The former Indian cricketer had captioned his Instagram post as “My Love”. In addition to this, Shikhar had confirmed in a discussion with ‘SportsTak’ that he would be mimicking the dialogue of ‘Gabbar’ from the most iconic Bollywood film “Sholay”.
Fans have been calling him as ‘Gabbar’ and he is said to mimic the dialogue “Bahot yaaraana hain suarr ke bachchon!!”.
Shikhar Dhawan revealed the story about how he got this nickname with love. He said in the conversation that:
“Yes! When I was playing for the Ranji Trophy, I was sitting at an awkward point. And that is when the opponent team was scoring huge partnerships. I used to shout ‘Bahot yaaraana hain suarr ke bachchon’, and at that time, everyone used to instantly start laughing.
Especially, it was our coach, Mr. Vijay, who laughed at my Gabbar dialogue of Sholay and named me ‘Gabbar’ from then onwards. After that, people started calling me with that name, with a symbol of love, and it gradually became famous among cricket fans across the globe.”
Private Relationship that Grew Stronger!
The Indian cricketer was spotted along with Sophie Shine many times during cricket matches in Dubai. They have always kept their bond secret, and it has grown stronger over time. After netizens spotted the couple multiple times, they started to doubt whether they could be secretly dating each other.
Of course, they have been in love for many years and chose not to disclose it publicly. But that doesn’t mean they have to make it official right then. Various meeting spots include the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, fueling speculation about their relationship.
Shikhar’s Official Confirmation on Instagram!
As media and reporters have already tried to extract information from Shikhar, he has cleverly slipped away from the question. Since then, fans have been keenly watching the couple and observing their activities minutely.
Recently, after Dhawan made his dating affair with Sophie Shine official, fans started flooding social media with congratulatory messages. Cricket lovers have started celebrating the couple’s relationship.
Earlier, when media reporters had asked him about his love, he answered subtly, saying that:
“It is not that I was unlucky in love, but my earlier choices were out of inexperience. Now I wouldn’t make that mistake again because of my experience, and right choices come in handy”.
Earlier, when the former Indian star cricketer was seen along with this ‘mystery woman’, netizens and media reports brought to notice that it was Sophie Shine.
When one of the anchors asked Shikhar Dhawan directly about the Irish beauty, he resisted replying and calmly said:
“NO! I am not going to take any names here. But the most beautiful girl in the room is my girlfriend”, the former Indian opener said.
That was the moment when all the cameras started focusing on Sophie, and she blushed with a smile. That was an indirect confirmation, as he did not show towards her or take her name.
But in the recent Instagram post, the couple was seen closely beside each other in one frame with a caption of “My Love” (Here the word Love was used as a Red Heart Emoji symbol, which was considered as “Love” by the audience).
Who is Sophie Shine: The Official Partner of Shikhar Dhawan?
Born and raised in Ireland, Sophie Shine is a talented Irish professional with a background in marketing. She is currently serving as a Product Consultant for Northern Trust Corporation in Abu Dhabi, with her current role combined with various global interactions and showcasing her skilled career.
Sophie holds a degree in Marketing and Management from a reputed Institute of Technology named Limerick. She is currently working as a second Vice President as well as a Product Consultant at Northern Trust Corporation in Abu Dhabi.
Above all, Sophie Shine has attracted a huge number of Indian audiences as she’s been engaging with the nation’s culture, posting photos of herself in traditional attire and exploring historical monuments and architecture all around the country.
In addition to that, the couple’s playful chemistry and reels on Instagram have been viral content. Once they appeared in traditional Punjabi attire, fans responded with extreme joy to see Dhawan happier once again after his divorce. Because Shikhar Dhawan wearing such attire is fine, but an Irish woman adhering Punjabi dress is something so special.
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