Dinesh Karthik reveals his favorite 'Gabbar Moment'; shares heartwarming stories of U19 days with Shikhar Dhawan

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has revealed his favorite memory with Shikhar Dhawan, as he paid tribute to his former teammate after his retirement from the game last week.

Tracing back to their early days, two young talents from different corners of India found themselves sharing a room in the Under-19 days. Their first encounter was marked by a clash of cultures and habits.

Dinesh Karthik shares memorable moments with Shikhar Dhawan after his retirement

Dinesh Karthik, hailing from South India, was used to sleeping early, while Shikhar Dhawan, with a more lively personality, was often found taking calls late into the night. Their camaraderie began with lighthearted moments, as the commentator recalled a memorable incident involving Shikhar Dhawan’s jersey number, 0-0.

During a tri-series leading up to a World Cup, Shikhar Dhawan struggled at the start, scoring ducks in his first two outings. And Dinesh Karthik made the most of this opportunity to tease the ‘Gabbar’ fondly called by his fans and teammates, playfully comparing his jersey number and his scores in the games.

Yet, this early struggle was just the start of Shikhar Dhawan’s remarkable journey. The left-handed batter’s confidence and skill shone brightly as the World Cup arrived, transforming his initial setbacks into stellar performances, eventually becoming India’s top run scorer in the tournament.

Dinesh Karthik recalls how he made fun of Dhawan

Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz: “Straight away, emotional question. The first thing is that I was his first ever roommate in Under-19 cricket when we played for India together. Very different personalities. I am coming from South India. I used to sleep at 7.30. He used to literally get phone calls at 9, 9.30 in the night. That was my first memory of him. It was very different being his roommate. We had a tri-series before the World Cup.

And his t-shirt number was 0-0. And in the first two matches of the practice matches, he got duck and duck. I will never forget that. I remember making fun of him by saying your t-shirt number is also 0-0. You scored 0-0 in the first two matches. He said, You watch the World Cup. And he ended up being the highest run-getter for India. And if I am right, if I can jog my memory, probably the highest run-getter in that World Cup, that's his confidence.”

Dhawan is a very, very fun-loving personality: Karthik

Dhawan’s infectious personality and remarkable performances have left a lasting impression on Karthik and the entire cricketing community. His journey from a struggling young cricketer to a celebrated batter and one of the best openers in white-ball cricket is just incredible.

The former wicketkeeper also spoke about how Dhawan continues to entertain his fans on social media with his innovative ideas and dance videos. He also mentioned how the left-hander established himself as one of the all-time successful pairs alongside Rohit Sharma in limited-overs cricket.

Karthik signed off by saying, “And you can see coming through social media and wherever he is, a very, very fun-loving personality, but exceedingly confident. Someone who played terrifically well for India in white-ball cricket. And what a batter he's been. And what a partnership he forged with Rohit Sharma.”