Former Indian explosive opener Shikhar Dhawan has finally addressed the rumors surrounding his affair with Virat Kohli during the 2014-15 Australia tour in his new book, “The One: Cricket, My Life and More”, written with Chandresh Narayanan and Namita Kala and published by Harper Sports in 2025.
According to Hindustan Times, Dhawan also shared in his book how MS Dhoni’s composed leadership turned a tense situation into a laughable moment on the same Australia tour. The former left-handed batsman reminds fans of the 2014 Test series between India and Australia as he recalls the Brisbane Test when the team was battling both fierce opponents and intense media scrutiny.
Shikhar Dhawan opens up on rumors of rift with Virat Kohli, tells how MS Dhoni calmed the controversy with humour.
During that test match, Shikhar Dhawan got injured in his hand while batting and he had to retire hurt. His plan was to resume his innings the next morning, but pain and swelling did not allow him to take the field. As a result, Virat Kohli had to go out earlier than expected and this change in the batting order soon led to wild speculation among fans and media.
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The media turned this story into a headline-grabbing controversy, leading people to believe that there was a rift between Kohli and Dhawan that never actually existed. Shikhar Dhawan recalled how he was shocked and hurt by the fake stories spreading outside the dressing room.
At a time when the situation could have easily gone out of control, it was MS Dhoni who came forward and defused the tension in his trademark style. During a press conference, when asked about the rumored feud between Kohli and Dhawan, the former Indian captain handled it with a mix of humor and authority that instantly debunked the story.
With just a lighthearted comment, he completely defused the controversy, protected his teammates and brought smiles back on everyone’s faces. Dhoni dismissed the ‘Dhawan vs Kohli’ story, saying, “Whoever gave this information deserves to write for a Marvel or Warner Bros. superhero film!”
Shikhar Dhawan reveals how MS Dhoni’s way of handling rumors taught him emotional strength
The former Indian opener has described that moment as a masterclass in leadership. Dhawan said Dhoni’s reaction showed how a captain can lead not just with tactics but also with emotional intelligence.
Instead of letting the story progress, Dhoni saved his players and the team atmosphere from unnecessary drama. The book also explains how this incident changed Dhawan’s approach to dealing with criticism. He admitted that, over time, he learned to prevent outside opinions from affecting his peace of mind.
The former Indian opener understood that journalists and commentators have to do their job, but he needed to remain focused on his own performance and mindset. It was a valuable lesson in self-control and mental strength.
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Shikhar Dhawan recalls emotional moments of MS Dhoni’s shocking Test retirement in 2014
Apart from this, Shikhar Dhawan has also mentioned another unforgettable chapter in his book and that is the sudden retirement of MS Dhoni from Test cricket after the Melbourne Test in December 2014. This news came as a complete surprise to Gabbar and the entire team.
The players were stunned and coach Duncan Fletcher looked clearly horrified. Dhawan remembered going up to Dhoni and hugging him and thanking him for everything he had done for Indian cricket. He writes that everyone knew that the Indian team’s journey in the Tests would be difficult without Dhoni, but also that his decision came from an intuitive sense of timing and he ‘knew’ it was the right time to hand over the Test command to Kohli.
