3 instances that prove MS Dhoni is the most adorable Indian cricketer
Former Indian captain MS Dhoni grabbed the limelight on Tuesday (July 26) with his surprise appearance in an Instagram live session featuring current Indian stars Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal. The cricketers, who are currently in West Indies for a white-ball series, had a lot of fun during the interaction and even resorted to some hilarious leg-pulling.
The session, which lasted for over half an over, even saw the Indian cricketers catching up with some of their fans from across the globe via the virtual medium. However, it was Dhoni’s unexpected appearance at the end that made fans go crazy.
The veteran keeper-batter waved to his former teammates after the video focused on him. However, after Pant requested him to stay on for a chat, he immediately disappeared.
Although it was only a brief appearance, Dhoni’s presence in the live video garnered the most attention, with the segment featuring him going viral on social media. The frenzy over the former captain comes as no surprise as he remains just as popular despite his international retirement in 2020.
In this feature, we look at three instances which prove that the “captain cool” is the most adorable Indian cricketer.
#1 A nine-year-old California fan’s cute letter for MS Dhoni
The Ranchi-born cricketer has legions of fans across the globe. However, earlier this year, an adorable letter to the legend from a nine-year-old admirer from California went viral on social media.
The letter that was shared on Twitter had the fan “Arjun Krishna” describing Dhoni as his “favorite cricket player”.
Written during the IPL, the letter read:
“If I ever become a cricket player, I would want to become exactly like you. Last IPL, when you guys won, I was jumping for five minutes.”
A letter to Thala from a true 9 year old fanatic! #thala #Dhoni #srinimama #csk #cskforever #cskfansneverlosehope #MSDhoni𓃵 #ipl #IPL2022 @msdhoni @SriniMaama16 @krishgiji https://t.co/iFMis3SC9b
Concluding the letter, Arjun wrote:
“My dad is going to send me to a cricket camp called CCA. My dad plays for Cricket Bay. His team is called the California Super Kings. Go CSK.”
#2 When humble Dhoni spent time with groundsmen
There are numerous tales of Dhoni taking time out from his busy schedule to meet his admirers. Over the years, he has made a conscious effort to bring some smiles to the lives of his differently-abled fans. However, he did something quite unique during IPL 2018.
On the occasion of International Labor Day, he interacted with the ground staff from Chepauk and Pune. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper clicked pictures with them and appreciated their contribution to the sport.
CSK's official Twitter handle tweeted images of 'MSD' posing with the ground staff and wrote:
“A super happy #InternationalWorkersDay to each and everyone who contributes to the welfare of the good game. A big shout out to the ground staff in Chepauk and Pune! #whistlepodu #Yellove 🦁💛.”
A super happy #InternationalWorkersDay to each and everyone who contributes to the welfare of the good game. A big shout out to the ground staff in Chepauk and Pune! #whistlepodu #Yellove 🦁💛 https://t.co/8AeQpQa0ru
The legendary cricketer once again won a lot of plaudits for his heartwarming gesture towards the often underappreciated members of the sport.
#3 Yashasvi Jaiswal greeting Dhoni with folded hands says it all
It is no secret that Dhoni is a role model for youngsters not only in India, but across the globe. Yashasvi Jaiswal, however, took the admiration level to a totally different level during his debut IPL match for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 2020 season.
Jaiswal made his IPL debut in a game against CSK at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Chennai won the toss and asked Rajasthan to bat first. As he headed back to join his franchise, he met a few opposition players and exchanged some fist-bumps.
What a moment!🌠
@msdhoni @IPL https://t.co/Lj5GJlyKQY
When he came face-to-face with Jaiswal, though, the latter folded his hands and greeted the iconic cricketer. Jaiswal was also seen sporting a wide smile in what was undoubtedly a fanboy moment.
The young cricketer’s gesture was highly appreciated by fans on social media. Jaiswal’s “folded hands” act is part of an ever-growing list, which keeps reiterating that Dhoni is indeed the 'Mr. Special' of Indian cricket.
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