Former India captain MS Dhoni belongs to the unique list of sports personalities who are widely popular across the world. There is no doubt that in India, legendary Sachin Tendulkar is considered as the god of cricket but if any other cricketer has come close to taking that designation is the Ranchi-born superstar.
Dhoni is often credited for taking Indian cricket to several new heights. Under his leadership, India won all the major ICC trophies, that is T20 World Cup (in 2007), 50-over World Cup (in 2011) and the Champions Trophy (in 2013).
In fact, Dhoni’s fan-following goes beyond boundaries as he is extremely popular in Pakistan, and lots of Pakistan cricketers have immense respect for the ex-India captain. From the likes of Inzamam-ul-Haq to Shahid Afridi, all prominent names in Pakistan cricketers have often expressed their admiration for Dhoni. The latest Pakistan cricketer on the list is aspiring young pacer Shahnawaz Dahani.
Dahani recently opened up about the incident when he met Dhoni and said it was a dream come true moment for him. Notably, the 23-year-old had met Dhoni during last year’s T20 World Cup, where Pakistan managed to register their first-ever win over India. Dahani said Dhoni gave him golden tips to keep improving and take his game to the next level.
“It will take a lot of time for me to explain the level of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Meeting him was a dream come true, and I can’t forget that moment. His words were quite beneficial as he told me about life, how to live life, respecting the elders. He told that there would be bad and good days in cricket, but you have to embrace it and stay dedicated to the game you love the most,” said Dahani, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Dahani is among the leading wicket-takers in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022. He has taken 16 wickets in 10 matches at an average close to 19.