Shikhar Dhawan would have been missing playing in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy despite winning the Man of the Series award in the recently concluded T20I series between Australia and India.
Many might know, Dhawan is married to Aesha Mukherjee, who is based in Melbourne, Australia and since then has shifted base to Melbourne.
Writing a column in the playersvoice.com.au, Shikhar Dhawan shares his experience of living a crazy life of an international cricketer and having a family in Australia.
He writes, “My family home has been in Melbourne for six or seven years now. I spend about 250 days a year on the road with the Indian team and my IPL and domestic cricket sides. It’s a crazy, very intense lifestyle. But whenever I have a gap in my schedule I will jump on a plane from India to Australia, come home and spend time with my family. Everything I do is for them.”
Shikhar and Aesha met on Facebook via Harbhajan Singh. Shikhar writes, “Aesha and I didn’t believe in an internet love. Neither of us was looking for that. Our chemistry was on from day one. We were laughing together and had many wonderful conversations. It was like a best friend thing."
“We made the decision quite early on that we would settle in Melbourne. Aesha had made her home there and the girls were going to school. To move them to India would mean they were basically starting from zero, which would not have been very fair given how much I was traveling with cricket,” writes Shikhar.
Shikhar writes further, “I love the outdoors lifestyle in Melbourne. We go to Dandenong mountains sometimes and feed the cockatoos. I enjoy dropping my son off and picking him up from school each day, or taking my daughters to watch a show like The Lion King when it’s on in the city.”
About his cricket here in Australia, Shikhar explains, “From a cricketing perspective, living here is good. The facilities are excellent, I have created a system and I report into the BCCI to update them on how I am going. I work with a few local Australian coaches and there are clubs and indoor net facilities I have access to. I also go to the local gym. It is not that difficult keeping on top of things here.”
“Sometimes I have a hit at the MCG nets. It’s a beautiful ground, one of the best in the world. The ground that brings the most emotion for me is still Feroz Shah Kotla, though. I grew up at Kotla. I’ve been playing there since I was a teenager. This year I’m going to play with the Delhi Capitals. It will feel like I’m coming home,” writes Shikhar, who was traded to Delhi Capitals from Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Talking about the adjustments he and his family had to make due to his cricketing commitments, Shikhar writes, “Aesha understands my situation very well. It’s a very intense life but we make it work. Sometimes it happens that I won’t see her for two months at a stretch. We do a lot of FaceTime. That’s how we keep going. The technology has really helped us. Wherever possible, my family travels with me. I think it is wonderful for the kids. They live the Aussie life and Indian life. They can live and communicate in both cultures.”
Dhawan concludes, “They won’t have to travel so far for my next assignment: the one-dayers against Australia. I’ll join the Indian team for that. It’s good for me that I’m training here in the local conditions. And then we’re off for another big year, which includes the World Cup in England. My family was with me for our Test series in England a few months ago. They love it there. Hopefully, we will make some more wonderful memories together.”
(With inputs from playersvoice.com.au)
