[Watch] "For so many years" - When 2024 World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju called MS Dhoni his role model

Gukesh Dommaraju, the 18-year-old Indian chess grandmaster, scripted history on Thursday, December 12, by winning the 2024 World Chess Championship. After his historic win, a clip of Gukesh regarding former Indian and current Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player MS Dhoni is going viral on the internet.

The clip is from a YouTube shorts video, posted by ChesscomIndia. In an interview, Gukesh Dommaraju was asked about which elite sports performer he looks at and tried to take something from them for his own game.

Gukesh then answered that MS Dhoni has been his role model for several years.

"Dhoni was like my role model for so many years," Gukesh said in the YouTube shorts clip.

Several sports and other personalities have called MS Dhoni their inspiration and role model, given his calm and composed attitude coupled with his achievements on the field.

After giving up the captaincy of the Chennai Super Kings in 2024, MS Dhoni will continue to be an integral member of the team after being retained under the 'uncapped player' category ahead of the upcoming 2025 IPL season.

Gukesh Dommaraju becomes youngest World Chess Champion

Gukesh Dommaraju defeated defending champion Ding Liren to win the 2024 World Chess Championship. In a decisive 14th game in Singapore, China's Ding Liren, to Gukesh's fortune, committed a blunder in the final game that helped Gukesh end on top.

The Indian, as a result, became the 18th World Champion. At just 18 years of age, Gukesh is now the youngest World Chess Champion. The previous youngest World Champion was Garry Kasparov when he reigned supreme by beating Anatoly Karpov at the age of 22.

Liren faltered under pressure as Gukesh claimed victory in the decider with black pieces. Liren was in a strong position to push the match into a tie-breaker but faltered in the end, ultimately losing 6.5-7.5.