Entrepreneurial Masterstroke off-field got Shikhar Dhawan Into Entrepreneur India's 35under35 list The southpaw made his debut in business with home decor brand 'DaONE Home'

Blenders Pride Reserve Collection presents Entrepreneur's 35U35 list included some path-breaking names from the field of sports, entrepreneurship and Shikhar Dhawan smartly balancing both sports and business made it to the list for redefining the aesthetics of homes.

Best known as Gabbar, Shikhar Dhawan is an out and out winner both in and out of the field. The opening batsman of Indian Cricket Team began a new innings, last year, when he launched his premium home décor brand "DaONE Home'. The brand aims to accentuate the look and the feel of your home. Dhawan, co-founder – DaONE Home, says, "Our homes are a natural extension of our own personalities, a reflection of our preferences and tastes. When Aesha and I were setting up our home, we realized the challenge that most Indians face when it comes to getting their living spaces to reflect their identities.

While there were plenty of options available to choose from, no one place could give us the kind of comprehensive, end-to-end satisfaction that we were looking for. DaONE Home is our endeavor to address this major market gap." The Delhi-based business was no happenstance for Dhawan. He always wanted to take up the entrepreneurial routine and family business after retirement from cricket was on his mind.

Little did he know that he would end up launching a startup to test his prowess. Dhawan says, "I enjoy taking risk in my life. I like to go with my instinct. I come from a middle class family where my father ran a business. I always saw myself doing business. I always had that urge of doing business. I thought this is the right time. I always had the courage to start something new." Talking about his learning as an entrepreneur, he says, "You cannot lose your temper when things don't go your way. In cricket we earn and spend more but in business you have to be careful where you are spending your every penny." When Dhawan is not busy playing cricket, like he is in the recently-concluded India-New Zealand ODI series, his wife Ayesha becomes the partner in action to see the brand growing.

Best known as Gabbar, Shikhar Dhawan is an out and out winner both in and out of the field. The opening batsman of Indian Cricket Team began a new innings, last year, when he launched his premium home décor brand "DaONE Home'. The brand aims to accentuate the look and the feel of your home. Dhawan, co-founder – DaONE Home, says, "Our homes are a natural extension of our own personalities, a reflection of our preferences and tastes. When Aesha and I were setting up our home, we realized the challenge that most Indians face when it comes to getting their living spaces to reflect their identities.

While there were plenty of options available to choose from, no one place could give us the kind of comprehensive, end-to-end satisfaction that we were looking for. DaONE Home is our endeavor to address this major market gap." The Delhi-based business was no happenstance for Dhawan. He always wanted to take up the entrepreneurial routine and family business after retirement from cricket was on his mind.

Little did he know that he would end up launching a startup to test his prowess. Dhawan says, "I enjoy taking risk in my life. I like to go with my instinct. I come from a middle class family where my father ran a business. I always saw myself doing business. I always had that urge of doing business. I thought this is the right time. I always had the courage to start something new." Talking about his learning as an entrepreneur, he says, "You cannot lose your temper when things don't go your way. In cricket we earn and spend more but in business you have to be careful where you are spending your every penny." When Dhawan is not busy playing cricket, like he is in the recently-concluded India-New Zealand ODI series, his wife Ayesha becomes the partner in action to see the brand growing.

(This article appears in the February 2019 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. To subscribe, click here. You can buy our tablet version from Magzter.com. To visit our Archives, click here.)