Shikhar Dhawan announces engagement to Sophie Shine two years after divorce

Shikhar Dhawan has taken a significant personal step, announcing his engagement to long-time partner Sophie Shine through a joint Instagram post that quickly caught the attention of fans and the cricket fraternity alike.

The photo, focused on the couple’s rings, marked the moment they officially decided to begin the next chapter together.

The post carried a heartfelt message alongside it: “From shared smiles to shared dreams. Grateful for the love, the blessings and every good wish for our engagement as we choose togetherness forever.” Within minutes of being shared, the announcement drew an outpouring of congratulatory messages, underlining Dhawan’s enduring popularity even after stepping away from the game.

Although Dhawan has largely kept his private life out of the spotlight in recent years, his relationship with Shine has gradually become more visible. Shine, who is Irish, has been based in and around the UAE and works as a product consultant, with professional ties to the financial services sector. She also enjoys a strong social media presence, with an Instagram following in the mid-three-lakh range, which has often brought added attention whenever the couple appear together online.

The two made their relationship public on social media on May 1 last year. Reports have previously noted that they first met in Dubai, a detail that resurfaced after the engagement post went viral. In a promotional video circulated earlier, both had spoken about their first meeting at a restaurant, sharing what initially caught their attention about each other. The engagement comes after a period of major change in Dhawan’s life.

The former India opener retired from international and domestic cricket in August 2024 and has also spoken openly about moving on after his divorce from Aesha Mukherjee, which was finalised in 2023. No wedding date has been officially announced so far. While some reports have speculated about a possible February 2026 wedding in the Delhi-NCR region, those details remain unconfirmed until the couple share further information themselves.