Why Shikhar Dhawan and Aesha Mukerji filed for divorce

Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has finally been granted divorce from his estranged wife Aesha Mukerji after a ruling from Delhi’s Patiala court on grounds of cruelty. Their divorce application was pending in court for some time, and the two were living separately.

Dhawan and Aesha Mukerji tied the knot in 2012. The two have a 7-year-old son, Zoravar.

What

• The court ruled in favour of Dhawan, citing that he had been subjected to mental agony for years by being kept him away from his son, Zoravar. 
• The court said, “He (Dhawan) for no fault of his own had been through immense agony and anguish of living separately from his own son for years.”
• The court also accepted that Dhawan’s wife couldn’t stay in India due to her commitment towards her daughters in Australia, who are from her first marriage. 
• As Dhawan’s testimony remains unchallenged, the judge said, “Hence, it stands proved that wife backtracked from her assurance of setting up matrimonial home after marriage and thus, made him suffer a long distance marriage and suffer immense agony and anguish of living separately from his son, for years.”

  

Why

• Though neither of them has opened up on the case so far, Dhawan said a few months ago that he would blame himself for his failed marriage. “I failed because the final decision is the person’s own. I don’t point fingers at others,” he said.
• Reports also said that when Dhawan lost his place in the national side after a series of mediocre performances, the relationship between the two took an ugly turn.
• It was said that Aesha had circulated defamatory messages against Dhawan to his IPL franchise, Delhi Capitals CEO Dheeraj Malhotra.
• Dhawan had also reportedly filed a plea in Delhi’s Patiala court against Aesha for tarnishing his reputation, and also threatening to ruin his career.  
• Aesha is 10 years older to Dhawan, and she married him after separating from her businessman husband in Australia. 
• Dhawan also contended that if he would marry again, he would give a profound thought over his decision and would not marry in haste. He had the same advice for the younger generation.

On the field

Shikhar Dhawan is in the last leg of his career. The 37-year-old cricketer has lost his place in the national side, and found no place in the World Cup squad.

• The last time he played an ODI for India was against Bangladesh in June 2022, in a three-match ODI series. 
• Since then, he has not been selected in any squad.
• However, Dhawan still has 2-3 years of domestic cricket left in him and he is the skipper of the IPL team Punjab Kings. 
• In 2023 too, he had a fine season with the bat, as he smashed 373 runs in 11 games at a strike rate of 142.91.