Gabbar khush hoga?

Vinayak Padmadeo

Shikhar Dhawan didn’t do anything with the bat in India’s practice match against New Zealand today. Two runs off seven balls in the first match of a tour can bog batsmen down, but Dhawan is not one to fret too much over such dismissals, especially in a practice match. 

He may appear happy go lucky on the field, but he’s a gutsy character who has had to wait a long time for a chance to shine. A minor blip like today will be quickly forgotten. Dhawan had to wait for two years to play for India U-19, despite being among the top run-getters in his age group. The third year he was picked up, and he became the Man of the Series in the U-19 World Cup in 2004.

Then followed a long wait in the shadow of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Aakash Chopra and Mithun Manhas. He had all but decided to quit but was coerced into continuing. Once he got a chance, he made it count. In all stages of cricket. “He was disturbed when he was only travelling with the Delhi team and was not getting a game,” recalls Tarak Sinha, who started training Dhawan when he was only 12 years old. “But we counselled him to carry on. Delhi had Sehwag, Gambhir and Chopra. But when he got a chance, he became a regular member of the team.”

“His determination is remarkable. He was dropped from the Indian team but made a comeback. There was speculation that he might not make the World Cup team. But he did well against Australia (143 in Mohali ODI) and sealed his spot. He is fighter,” Sinha added.

Gabbar, Jattji

The fighter takes up a different character on field. Whether it is his ‘le panga’ celebration after taking a catch or his penchant for jokes when the game is meandering along, Dhawan provides the comic interlude. His longtime Delhi teammate Mayank Tehlan, who used to share rooms with the opener during tours, relates a story about how Dhawan got his famous nickname Gabbar.

“I don’t remember who our opponent was but we were definitely playing in Delhi. I was fielding at short-leg and he at silly-point. We were behind in the game, our shoulders were down, there was no energy,” Tehlan said. “All of a sudden he screamed: ‘Suuar ke bacchon!’ — the famous Amjad Khan dialogue from Sholay. Everyone including the batsmen broke into laughter. We started calling him Gabbar, and the name stuck.” The origin of his second name, Jattji, is simpler — Dhawan is a Punjabi jatt, and loves Punjabi music and is easygoing. “But don’t let that fool you, he is a fierce competitor,” Tehlan said.

He’s been especially good in England — 976 runs in 17 ODIs, average 65.06. In ICC events in England, he’s got 701 off 690 balls in 10 ODIs, average 77.88. The team needs him to continue in the same vein.

India Squad
Shikhar Dhawan
Swashbuckler

FACTFILE

• Age: 33 years 172 days
• Born in: New Delhi 
• Major teams: India, Delhi, Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians