Indian Pacer Credits MS Dhoni as his Guru

New Delhi: Despite retiring from international cricket in 2020, MS Dhoni continues to serve as a source of inspiration for countless cricketers. The cricketing world eagerly anticipates his next move after his final IPL match in 2024, with rumors swirling about the legendary player's future plans. Dhoni's teammates have frequently lauded his unparalleled understanding of the game and his exceptional ability to guide and strategize from behind the stumps, attributing much of the team's success to his innate instincts.

Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed, who has represented the national team in 11 ODIs and 18 T20Is, is also an MS Dhoni fanboy. In a recent interview with former India opener Aakash Chopra, Khaleel was shown a photo of Dhoni handing him a bouquet of flowers. Chopra then asked Khaleel to share the story behind that moment.

“This photo was taken in New Zealand. We were going to the practice ground from the main ground. Mahi bhai was given flowers by his friends. I was walking with him. He passed me the flowers. Mahi bhai is not my friend, not my elder brother, he is my guru,” Khaleel said on Chopra’s YouTube channel.

“Since my childhood, I wanted to become the bowler who took the first over from India since I had watched Zaheer Khan growing up. In the Asia Cup, Mahi bhai, asked me to bowl the first over. I ran so hard, away from the huddle thinking that if I give it time he might change his mind. I think the most important player of a team gets to bowl the first.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanath has dismissed reports suggesting that the franchise requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to reinstate a now-defunct rule to bring MS Dhoni back at a lower price. The rule, which allowed international players to be classified as ‘uncapped’ after five years of retirement, was abolished after IPL 2021. Speculation arose that CSK wanted the rule reinstated to retain Dhoni as an ‘uncapped’ player for as low as Rs 4 crore, compared to the Rs 12 crore he was retained for in 2022. However, Viswanath has denied that CSK made any such request.