‘Zorawar now spends less time on his iPad’

He only does things that are close to his heart. So, when he is not training to be a better cricketer, Shikhar Dhawan likes to spend time with nature, and animals. “It’s important for us to be compassionate towards those who can’t talk. They have the same right to be on this planet as us,” he says.

All his love and compassion is because of the fact that he has always been around dogs. “I have three dogs in Australia. Here, at my parents home as well, there are two dogs. I had been planning to get a few at my place as well,” he says. “I know I’ve had pedigree dogs before. But then, I have gone beyond looks and breed. I had decided that I would adopt instead of buying” he says.

So, when his wife, Aesha, showed him a photo of “two really cute” indie dogs — Chole and Valentine — who were up for adoption, it was an instant yes. “My son, Zorawar, ever since this Lockdown, wasn’t going out of the house much. He has been spending time with them. He now spends less time on iPad, because he is playing with them,” he adds.

The left-handed batsman has cherished every moment with his family in the last few months.

“I was telling this to Aesha the other day, that we have all gone back to the time when we all were 20-21 year olds. Sham ko geri pe nikal jaate the, green masti karne. Kyuki kuch aur karne ko nahi hota tha. Ab bhi wahi situation hai,” he says.

But that doesn’t mean he is not excited to be back on the pitch. “I have made comebacks in the team in the last few years. So, mentally speaking I have made myself very strong to always be ready to play,” he says.