"I want to make you a Bollywood hero!" - Former Indian batter's interesting revelation on first interaction with MS Dhoni

Former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan revealed his first interaction with legendary captain MS Dhoni in his book - 'The One: Cricket, My Life and More'. The left-hander debuted for India in the home ODI series against Australia in 2010 under Dhoni.

Dhawan also debuted in Tests in 2013 against the same opponent in Mohali with Dhoni as skipper. The 39-year-old was the leading run-scorer in India's 2013 Champions Trophy triumph, helping Dhoni win his third ICC title as captain.

Recalling his first interaction with Dhoni, Dhawan wrote in his book (via Indian Express):

"I wanted to cast him in a Bollywood movie; he looked like a film star with that long hair and easy smile. We were having a chat about my motivation when I suddenly blurted out, ‘I want to play for India and I want to make you a Bollywood hero!’ He threw back his head and laughed."

Dhawan also admitted being nervous the night before his India debut in 2010, saying:

"Before the first match in Kochi, there was so much nervous energy bubbling inside me that I could not sleep the whole night… But when I got up in the morning, it was raining heavily, and all my hopes turned to nought. No action was possible that day." "Then, just ahead of the second ODI at Vizag, I took a sleeping pill to soothe my nerves. I thought it was important to sleep well, and I was worried that my performance would suffer if I went through another round of insomnia as I had done on the eve of the first match."

Dhawan's maiden innings for India in the second ODI against Australia did not go to plan, with the opener dismissed for a two-ball duck. Nevertheless, the southpaw enjoyed a successful 12-year international career, scoring 10,867 runs across formats with 24 centuries in 269 outings.

"Narratives took a lot longer to change back in those days" - Shikhar Dhawan on impact of Social Media

Shikhar Dhawan said the social media impact was much lower when he was making his way into the Indian side in 2010. He admitted the growth of social media over the years has helped dictate and change narratives about players and teams overnight.

"When I was trying to break into the Indian side, social media was still nascent and cricketers were under a lot less scrutiny. But other media platforms – print and broadcast – were thriving. However, unlike the current times in which social media can transform cricketers from ‘hero’ to ‘zero’ almost overnight, narratives took a lot longer to change back in those days, said Dhawan (via the aforementioned source).

Dhawan's Test debut was the polar opposite of his ODI debut, with the left-hander scoring a breathtaking 174-ball 187 in his maiden innings against Australia in Mohali. He was adjudged the Player of the Match in India's six-wicket victory.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran