Shikhar Dhawan lookalike bewilders fans in Kanpur

When Sunrisers Hyderabad were scheduled to play Gujarat Lions in Kanpur, there was a huge confusion amongst the crowd who were making their way into the stadium before the start of the match. Ram Bahadur Yadav, like any other fan, had come to the Green Park to catch a glimpse of his favourite cricketers, was mistaken for SRH and India opener Shikhar Dhawan because of the former’s striking similarities with the Indian dasher.

A lot of fans huddled around him to click pictures with him till Ram broke his silence and informed the fans about his real identity. He wore a Sunrisers Hyderabad jersey and also donned shades which are similar to the ones Dhawan wears. Even the policemen were left bewildered as they thought it was the real Dhawan and not a lookalike.

‘Want to meet Dhawan one day’

This is not the first time Ram has been given a celebrity status. While making his way to Kanpur, where the game was to be played, from Lucknow; Ram again posted for pictures with fans because everybody thought he was Dhawan. The man who is in his 20’s is a big fan of the left-hander says that he wants to meet Dhawan one day.

“I have never met Shikhar Paa Ji but I would surely love to meet him. He is my favourite player. Since I bear his resemblance, it gives me all the more reason to meet him. So far I have met cricketers Anil Kumble, Rishabh Pant and Sanjay Bangar. Today, I am here to cheer Shikhar and team Sunrisers Hyderabad which is on a winning spree”, said Ram Bahadur speaking to Times of India.

Inside the Stadium too, the confusion continued. When Ram made a visit to the VIP Pavilion, people seated there were quick to approach him to click pictures. “People got selfies clicked with me even in the stand. They could not distinguish between me and Shikhar Paa Ji. But even when I told them about my identity, they were happy enough to continue clicking the pictures,” said Ram.

Ram went to watch the game with his friend Avinash Singh but the duo got late to reach the Stadium as fans mobbed him on the way starting from the Railway Station till he reached the ground.

“We got late in reaching Green park stadium as people considering Ram to be Shikhar Dhawan and stopped him several times on the railway station to get the pictures clicked with him. He bears such a close resemblance with Shikhar that people are often left confused. He dons Shikhar’s style including his hair cut, maintains moustache and even the gestures and behaviour of Shikhar,” said Avinash.

Ram’s visit at the Green Park would have been memorable as SRH went past Gujarat Lions by 8 wickets to seal a berth in the playoffs.

This has been the second similar incident as a Malinga lookalike was also spotted amongst the crowd during the course of the IPL 2017. The doppelganger was lucky enough to meet the star Sri Lanka bowler after Mumbai Indians game against Gujarat Lions at Rajkot last month.