Yoga for Gabbar: What makes Shikhar Dhawan agile, patient on field

Everyone should exercise about an hour every day, Dhawan said.

You need to have a strong and nimble torso if you want to bat like Shikhar Dhawan in the first ODI against England in Pune. The lefty opener leaned back for square cuts as well as went down on a knee for a slog six, to name just two strokes from the riches he displayed during his innings of 98, which earned him the man of the match award.

Dhawan was not always physically flexible. He credits yoga for loosening him up, physically and mentally.

“Earlier, my body was stiff. As an athlete I need good mobility. Now I feel much younger on the field, because I can bend easily,” Dhawan, 35, said during a Zoom call last month organised by wellness startup Sarva, where he is an investor. “I became more patient, as you have to hold your asanas, with a smiling face if possible. All those things helped me in cricket. Even the breathing exercises improved my stamina so much I was not getting tired.”

On a lighter note, Dhawan said, “Kapalbhati, bhramari bring a glow to your face. See how my face is glowing.” With a radiant mug and new suppleness, Gabbar, as he is known, could very well match moves with Helen in Mehbooba mehbooba.

Dhawan then spoke about the mental aspect of yoga. “Reaching the top is one thing, staying there another,” he said. “You have to be mentally and emotionally strong. You have to be able to take the ups and downs. When you are emotionally strong, you are going to fall down but you are going to get up quickly and move. Yoga helped me a lot in this.”

Everyone should exercise about an hour every day, Dhawan said, while admitting that the lockdown made even a professional athlete like him susceptible to slacking off.

“Quarantine can get lethargic. You feel like lazing around,” Dhawan said. “It is important to give that push to yourself and do something. Once you start doing it, you end up eating right as well, because you do not want to eat junk food and waste that effort. I feel it is very important for everyone to give themselves a minimum 40-50 minutes [of exercise or meditation] a day.”

Dhawan credits yoga for loosening him up, physically and mentally.

As for his approach to investing in a brand, Dhawan said, “I have to feel a connect with a company. I like to understand its processes and beliefs. It is also good to get out of the comfort zone and learn new things. I’m not scared of failing. It is a learning process for me.”