The One : Cricket, My Life and More Hardcover – 11 July 2025 by Shikhar Dhawan (Author)

One evening, when I was headed for dinner with my British girlfriend Ellen, news of her presence spread like wildfire through the entire squad on tour. A senior national selector, who was on tour with us, spotted us walking in the lobby with our hands linked. It didn’t even occur to me that I should let go of her hand, because to me that was no crime. 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.’.

Flamboyant, maverick, charismatic these are some words one would use to describe Shikhar Dhawan.

One of the most aggressive and stylish batsmen in modern cricket, Dhawan has been behind some of India’s most iconic victories. In The One, Dhawan takes readers on the incredible journey of his life. Growing up in the intensely competitive cricketing scene of Delhi, Dhawan started out as a wicketkeeper but later transitioned to an opening batsman, a move that would define his career. Off the field, Dhawan’s life has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride, and he bares it all in this memoir. How did a bar conversation with a former cricketer help Dhawan improve his batting. What made him visit an astrologer while he was still a teenager trying to make it big in cricket. Why was he dropped for two years from the India A team for no apparent reason? From his relationships to his friendships, to all the controversies surrounding him, this is a no holds barred account of how Dhawan handled every curveball that life threw at him while performing and winning at the highest level for India. Written with candour and sincerity, The One offers an unprecedented glimpse into Shikhar Dhawan’s inner monologue and all the vulnerabilities that have shaped him into the champion cricketer and sensitive human being he is today. Raw and powerful, this is a story that will stay with readers and fans for a long time.