Former India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan married his long-time girlfriend Sophie Shine in a private wedding ceremony on Saturday, 21 February. The couple had been dating for over a year, and Dhawan went public about their relationship in May 2025. The pair were widely expected to marry after earlier announcing their engagement on Instagram on 12 January.
Dhawan and Sophie were first spotted together during a Champions Trophy 2025 match in Dubai. They were also seen at a media conclave, where the former India opener hinted that he had found love once again. Their wedding photographs were made public by fellow India cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal on his Instagram account, as he shared glimpses of the ceremony with the caption, “Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai.”
Shikhar Dhawan looked regal in a cream-coloured sherwani with floral patterns, while his partner, Sophie, wore a lehenga featuring the same floral theme.
Who’s Sophie Shine?
Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan and Sophie celebrated their haldi ceremony on 20 February, with Sophie sharing photographs from the occasion on her Instagram account. According to her LinkedIn profile, Sophie is an Irish product consultant currently working as Second Vice President – Product Consultant at Northern Trust Corporation, a US-based financial services firm. Reports suggest that she and Shikhar Dhawan met in the UAE, where Sophie is presently based.
Sophie holds a qualification in Marketing and Management from the Limerick Institute of Technology and completed her earlier education at Castleroy College in Ireland.
It is Dhawan’s second marriage after he officially separated from his estranged wife, Aesha Mukherjee, in October 2023, bringing an end to their 11-year marriage. The former India opener had married Aesha in 2011; who has two daughters from a previous marriage. Their relationship, however, broke down after a prolonged period of difficulties.
While granting the divorce, a Delhi court observed that Dhawan had suffered mental trauma, noting that his former wife had kept him away from his only child, Zoravar, for several years. The court recorded that Aesha either chose not to contest these claims or failed to respond to them adequately.
Despite these observations, Dhawan was not granted permanent custody of Zoravar. Instead, the court awarded him visitation rights and permitted video calls for a “reasonable duration” in both India and Australia, where Aesha is based. Dhawan has since stated that he was subsequently blocked from all forms of virtual communication with his son.
