Shikhar Dhawan Recalls 2006 Australia Tour Romance, Sneaking Girlfriend Into Hotel Room Shared With Rohit Sharma

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan has revealed a lesser-known chapter of his early cricketing days in his recently released memoir, The One: Cricket, My Life and More. The left-handed batter, known for his exploits in ICC tournaments, recounted a romantic episode from the 2006 India A tour of Australia — one that even had a young Rohit Sharma losing sleep.

In a candid retelling, Dhawan said he was instantly smitten by a woman he met at Darwin airport. “She was a tall brunette with sharp features. She looked divine. I smiled, and she smiled back,” he wrote. A brief chat while collecting their luggage led to an exchange of contact details, and the two began meeting regularly during the tour.

Back at the hotel, Dhawan reached out to her over email and invited her to a party, which she accepted. What started as a casual connection soon turned into a full-blown affair, with Dhawan confessing he had fallen hard. “Suddenly I was in love again! I thought to myself, ‘She is the one for me, and I am going to marry her,’” he wrote.

The then 20-year-old batter began sneaking her into his hotel room — one he shared with teammate Rohit Sharma. “After every game, I would go over to meet up with Ellen, and I soon started smuggling her into my hotel room… Rohit would complain in Hindi, ‘Will you let me sleep?’” Dhawan recalled.

The relationship quickly became the subject of chatter within the team, especially after a senior selector spotted Dhawan and the woman walking hand-in-hand through the hotel lobby. “It didn’t even occur to me that I should let go of her hand, because to me, we were committing no crime,” he wrote.

However, Dhawan admitted that his performance during the tour took a hit, likely due to the distraction. “There was a good chance that if I had performed consistently on that Australia tour, I would have made it to the senior Indian side. But my performance kept dipping,” he said.

Dhawan eventually went on to have a stellar international career, playing 167 ODIs, 68 T20Is, and 34 Tests for India, with most of his success coming in the 50-over format. He scored 6793 runs in ODIs at an average of 44.11, with standout performances in the 2013 and 2017 Champions Trophy tournaments. He also started strong in the 2019 World Cup but was ruled out due to injury after a match-winning century against Australia.

Dhawan officially announced his retirement from international cricket in August 2024. His memoir offers not only a glimpse into his cricketing highs but also the youthful misadventures that shaped him along the way.