Shikhar Dhawan with his newly married wife Sophie Shine (Source: Instagram/Shikhar Dhawan)
In what seems to be a big development for the former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, a family court announced a major verdict in a pending ‘property settlement’ case. The court’s decision came just two days after his second marriage with Sophie Shine last week, on Satuday, February 21.
The final verdict of the Delhi-based Patiala House court came on Tuesday, February 22. In its ruling, the Delhi court cleared the air regarding an existing order of an Australian family court in favour of Aesha Mukerji, Dhawan’s divorced wife.
What happened in ‘property settlement’ dispute involving Shikhar Dhawan and Aesha Mukerji?
The Delhi court’s ruling states that any of India’s matrimonial laws, especially the Hindu Marriage Act, do not directly align with the ‘process of transferring property or funds’ ordered by the Australian court.
The Delhi court upheld the concept of ‘law of the land’ and called the Australian order ‘alien to the Indian legal system’. Eventually, the Delhi court ruled in Shikhar Dhawan’s favour, calling the Australian order ‘unsustainable’ in India and asked Aesha Mukerji to refund the entire amount of INR 5.72 crores.
The dispute finds its roots in an Australian court’s order, which heard this ‘property settlement’ case, involving Dhawan and his ex-wife, Aesha Mukerji. It all started when Aesha, who is also an Australian citizen, approached a family court in Melbourne, the city where she resides.
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She sought the intervention of Melbourne’s family court in the distribution of matrimonial assets with her ex-husband and Indian cricketer. As a verdict of the proceedings, the court ordered Dhawan to pay a one-time sum of INR 5.72 crores to his ex-wife.
Second marriage: A new beginning in Shikhar Dhawan's life
Moving on from all the hardships and issues of his first marriage and divorce, Dhawan has started a new chapter in his life. The former southpaw tied knots with his Irish girlfriend, Sophie Shine, on Saturday, February 21, in a private ceremony at Chhatarpur in New Delhi.
Former India skipper and Dhawan's long-time teammate, Rohit Sharma, alongside his wife Ritika Sajdeh also attended the marriage ceremony, alongside
Dhawan himself confirmed the news in an Instagram post, captioning it as ‘Mr and Mrs Dhawan (with red heart emoji).
Dhawan and Sophie have been in the news since the couple was seen together for the first time in Dubai, watching the Indian team play in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Later in May 2025, he confirmed his relationship with Sophie Shine via an Instagram post captioning it as ‘My (with red heart emoji).
Why and when Shikhar Dhawan and Aesha Mukerji divorced?
In 2020, Dhawan and his estranged wife, Aesha Mukerji, were undergoing a rough patch in their marriage. The rumours about the couple’s divorce took the centre stage on social media until September 2021, when the couple finally decided to part ways with each other.
After hearing the case for almost two years, the Delhi-based family court, in 2023, eventually approved divorce on the grounds of ‘mental cruelty’ with Shikhar Dhawan from his ex-wife. The court also allowed the shared custody of son Zorawar.
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