Shikhar Dhawan marries Sophie Shine, releases photos of his wedding

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan has released photos of his wedding with long-time partner Sophie Shine, confirming the news through social media posts on Saturday.

They have been in a relationship for almost a year, with Dhawan confirming their relationship in May 2025 and a few months back, and last month, the couple announced their engagement on Instagram. In the Insta post, Dhawan also informed his fans that their wedding outfit was designed by famous designer Manish Malhotra.

“Mr. & Mrs. Dhawan. Outfit – @manishmalhotra05,” said Dhawan in his post.

Earlier in the day, India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal gave fans a peek into Shikhar and Sophie Shine’s wedding celebrations by sharing pictures from the ceremony on Saturday.

The wedding, reportedly taking place in the Delhi NCR region, is attended by close friends and family members. Chahal took to Instagram to post cheerful moments from the celebrations, including a picture of Dhawan dressed in traditional groom’s attire alongside Sophie, who looked good in her bridal outfit. The spinner was also seen enjoying the festivities and dancing with other guests.

Captioning his post, Chahal wrote, “Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai,” expressing his excitement for his former teammate’s big day.

Earlier, Dhawan had shared pictures from his sangeet ceremony on Instagram. “Sangeet Night, almost the Dhawans,” he wrote in his post. Sophie, too, had offered fans a glimpse of the pre-wedding festivities by sharing photos from her haldi ceremony.

Dhawan and Sophie made their relationship public in 2025 and announced their engagement in January 2026. Their love story reportedly began several years ago in Dubai, and since then, Sophie has been a constant presence in Dhawan’s life. The couple has built a strong following on social media, where their light-hearted and humorous reels are widely appreciated by fans.

This is Dhawan’s second marriage. His first marriage to Ayesha Mukherjee ended in 2021.

Dhawan officially retired from all forms of international and domestic cricket on August 24, 2024. During his international career, Dhawan established himself as one of India’s most dependable openers, especially in limited-overs cricket. Known for his performances in major tournaments, he earned the nickname ‘Mr. ICC’, for his consistency on the global stage.

Across 269 international matches, Dhawan scored 10,867 runs and registered 24 centuries, leaving behind a significant legacy in Indian cricket.

–IANS

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New champions emerge in National Racing Championship

Coimbatore, Nov 16 (IANS) The curtains came down on the 28th FMSCI National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday with action-packed races overflowing with emotions, and new champions emerging in several categories.

Dhruvh Goswami (MSport) won both races on Sunday to be crowned the new champion in the LGB Formula 4 category, the blue riband event of the competition, after entering the final Round 3 weekend trailing championship leader Diljith TS (Dark Don Racing).

Bengaluru’s Goswami, an 18-year-old class 12 student of St Joseph’s, signed off in style in India’s longest-running single-seater championship, winning three of the four races over the weekend. The highpoint was the 20-lap final race on Sunday where he started 7th on the reverse grid, three spots behind former champion Diljith, who was trailing by 4 championship points. Goswami drove impressively to take the lead early in the race, lost it briefly to teammate Ruhaan Alva, before regaining it for a dominant finish. Speaking about the final race in the context of the championship tussle with Diljith, Goswami said, “It was going to be a long race, I knew I required to be patient.”

Monith Kumaran Srinivasan of Ahura Racing won the Rookie title in the LGB Formula 4 category.

Round 4 of the FIA-certified Formula 4 Indian Championship, part of the Indian Racing Festival, was run alongside this championship and saw South African Luviwe Sambudla record his first win of the season in the day’s opening race and Kenya’s Shane Chandaria clinch the second race. It was a pole-to-chequered flag finish by Sambudla in a race that saw Indian driver Ishaan Madesh of Kolkata Royal Tigers nose ahead of Saishiva Sankaran (Speed Demons Delhi) in the final laps to take third place behind teammate Ghazi Motlekar from Mozambique. In the second race, Chandaria won from pole while Motlekar climbed from fourth position to finish second. French driver Sachel Rotge (Kichcha’s Kings Bengaluru), who won on Saturday, finished third after starting from the same position on the grid, while Madesh fended off Sankaran to finish fourth in a close battle.

Having sealed the title in the professional category with a race to spare on Saturday in the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup, presented by JK Tyre, Bengaluru rider Anish Shetty didn’t get complacent, finishing the season with a victory for what was his second title in this category.

Bryan Nicholas of Pondicherry bagged the title in the Amateur class of the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup.

Balaji Raju secured the Rookie crown in the JK Tyre Levitas Cup, India’s newest single-make racing series that debuted this season, by winning both races of the day. Jai Prashanth Venkat won the Gentlemen category, stamping his authority in a season the Coimbatore driver has clearly dominated.

With four drivers in contention for the crown in the JK Tyre Novice Cup, India’s entry-level single-seater series, Lokithlingeash Ravi (DTS Racing) from Pollachi took the honours by winning the shootout in the season’s final race.

–IANS

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PGTI Players Championship: Yuvraj Sandhu storms into sole lead with a low score of 61

Kolkata, Feb 12 (IANS) Chandigarh’s Yuvraj Sandhu stormed into the sole lead courtesy of a tournament-low score of nine-under 61 in round two of the INR 1 crore prize-money PGTI Players Championship 2025 at The Tollygunge Club Ltd, the opening event of the 2025 season, here on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old Yuvraj Sandhu (63-61), a winner of nine titles including one on the international stage, followed up his top-notch 63 in Round One with a sensational 61 on Wednesday to move into a commanding three-shot lead at 16-under 124. Jamal Hossain (65-62) of Bangladesh, a winner on the PGTI last year, struck an equally impressive eight-under 62 to close the day in second position at 13-under 127.

Five players were bunched in tied third place at 10-under 130 including Honey Baisoya (65), Rahil Gangjee (67), Kolkata’s SSP Chawrasia (66), M. Dharma (63), and Arjun Sharma (67). The cut came down at two-under 138. Fifty-nine professionals and one amateur made the cut. Local lad Anshul Mishra was the only amateur to make the cut.

Yuvraj Sandhu, the overnight joint leader, began his fireworks on Wednesday with an eagle conversion from 15 feet on the 10th. He then added five more birdies till the first hole landing his shots within five feet on three occasions.

Yuvraj conceded a bogey against the run of play on the fifth but roared back with a couple of excellent iron shots to set up birdies on the next two holes. He capped his round with the day’s longest birdie conversion from 25 feet on the eighth to fall one short of the 1998 course record set by Indrajit Bhalotia.

Yuvraj, a former winner at Tollygunge Club, said, “It was a solid ball-striking day for me. I’ve been working on my tee shots with my coach Gurbaaz Mann and the results are finally showing.

“Last season, I played a lot of events in windy conditions so the learning was to work harder on my tee shots in such conditions. The focus was on shaping the shots and committing to them. Since the wind was swirling today, all the hard work I’ve done on my hitting recently paid me dividends. The fact that I have a certain comfort level playing at Tollygunge also adds to my confidence going forward,” he said.

Jamal Hossain produced a chip-in for eagle on the 10th along with eight birdies and two bogeys during his round of 62. Jamal thus climbed five positions from his overnight tied seventh. Defending champion Manu Gandas was tied 50th at two-under 138.

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I aim to strike gold and bring greater glory to India, says para-athlete Preeti Pal

New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) India’s acclaimed para-athlete, Preeti Pal, a double bronze medallist at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, has been officially named the flag bearer for India’s contingent at the upcoming prestigious New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships. Her remarkable journey from overcoming cerebral palsy to becoming one of the country’s brightest stars in para-athletics serves as a shining example of determination and excellence.

Born with cerebral palsy, Preeti has overcome all obstacles with her unwavering spirit and determination. With personal bests of 14.21 seconds in the 100m and 30.01 seconds in the 200m T35 sprint categories, she achieved two landmark bronze medals in Paris, putting India firmly on the global para-sports map.

From a child battling cerebral palsy to a Paralympic medallist, Preeti’s journey is one of determination and perseverance. After struggling with limited treatment options in her hometown, she relocated to Delhi to train with expert coaches. The support of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which offered her financial assistance, advanced training facilities, physiotherapy, and sports equipment, has been instrumental in her development.

India’s flag bearer for the prestigious IndianOil New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, the largest para-athletics event ever hosted in India, is Preeti Pal. This historic event, taking place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium from 27 September to 5 October 2025, features the nation’s top athletes and international stars. By carrying the flag at the opening ceremony, Preeti represents India’s strength, resilience, and leadership in para-sports.

Sharing her motivation, Preeti said, “This journey has been about immense hard work and dedication. While the expert coaching has guided me technically, the support from SAI and TOPS has been a game changer providing me with the facilities, equipment, and financial backing necessary to compete at the highest levels. My daily training is intense, focusing on improving every aspect of my performance. This moment is not just a recognition of my journey but a testament to resilience and teamwork. I aim to strike gold and bring greater glory to India. Every step I take is for those who believe in me and for those who dare to dream despite challenges.”

With her sights set on the future, Preeti is determined to enhance her medal collection and secure gold at the New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships on home turf. She’s maintaining her intense training regime and serving as a shining role model for the next generation of para-athletes.

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