XX September 2026, Mumbai: On Family Full House with Rohit Sharma, Rohit Sharma recalls the beginning of his opening partnership with Shikhar Dhawan in 2013, sharing an amusing exchange from the first time the duo walked out to open the innings together. From Rohit asking Shikhar to take the strike to Shikhar revealing that he never did so, the conversation captures how their partnership began before going on to become a consistent opening combination for India.
Talking about the early days of their opening partnership, Rohit said, “2013 se maine opening batting karna shuru kiya, aur Shikhar toh obviously aise opener hai. Toh jab maine pehli baar opening karna shuru kiya tha, tab maine Shikhar ko bola ki, ‘Bhai yaar, strike le le yaar.’ Shikhar ne bola, ‘Nahi, maine kabhi strike nahi li hai.’ Maine bola, ‘Bhai, main naya opener hoon, abhi-abhi bana hoon. Mereko strike mat de yaar, tu khud le.’ Phir Shikhar bolta hai, ‘Yeh main kabhi nahi karta hoon, main sirf non-striker pe jaata hoon.’ Main kaha, ‘Theek hai, koi baat nahi. Dekhte hain kya hoga. Zyada se zyada mera danda hi jaayega pehli ball mein.’”
Looking back at how their partnership developed over the years, Rohit adds, “Aur uske baad se jo hum dono ke beech ki partnership rahi hai, consistently for 10 years. Humne midwickets ke beech mein enjoy kiya, kaafi baar niraash bhi hue, but mere khayaal mein bahut baar humne jo India ko chahiye tha, woh shayad deliver kiya hai.”
Rohit’s recollection offers a glimpse into the early days of one of India’s most memorable opening combinations, from their first conversation at the crease to a partnership that remained consistent for nearly a decade.
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