It’s no secret that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is well-known to keep a cool and calm demeanor during pressure situations of a cricket match. Dhoni, who had given up CSK captaincy ahead of IPL 2024, is also known for his generosity both on and off the field and has had a healthy relationship with fans wherever he goes.
During the recently-concluded IPL, one such fan of Dhoni recalled the moment when he got to meet his cricketing idol during a match. The fan had invaded the pitch to meet MS Dhoni when Chennai Super Kings took on Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, breaching all the security protocols. However, that turned out to be the meeting of a lifetime.
The fan was initially caught off guard, but Dhoni in fact halted the game briefly to respond to the fan, before he was taken away by security personnel. The fan, during an interview with YouTuber “The Focused Indian”, recalled that moment when he touched Dhoni’s feet. The die-hard supporter even revealed that he had some breathing issues, to which the 42 year-old replied with gratitude.
“Mahi bhai ne bola, “Teri surgery ka mein dekh lunga. ‘Tujhe kuch nahi hoga, ghabra at. Main tujhe kuch nahi hone dunga. Ghabra mat, yeh log tujhe kuch nahi karenge’. Aur mere aankhon se toh aansu hi nahi ruk rahe the. Mahi Bhai! isiliye sab kehte hain Thala for a reason (Mahi bhai told me, there won’t be any problem. I will take care of your surgery. Don’t worry. These people won’t do anything to you. And the tears in my eyes were not stopping. This is why people call Mahi bhai Thala for a reason,” said the fan.
Conversation between @msdhoni and fan 🥹💛
— ` (@WorshipDhoni) May 29, 2024
Fan told him he has some breathing issues and there is surgery of it. He wanted to meet him before surgery. Mahi replied "Teri surgery ka mai dekh lunga. Tujhe kuch nahi hoga, tu ghabara mat. Mai tujhe kuch nahi hone dunga" pic.twitter.com/wKz9aZOVGQ
CSK narrowly missed out on qualifying for the IPL playoffs this season following a 27-run loss to RCB. Dhoni finished the season with 161 runs from 14 matches with an average of 53.67 and a strike-rate of 220.55.