In what became the most heartwarming moment of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), former India captain Sunil Gavaskar rushed to the ground after the completion of the game between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders to get an autograph from MS Dhoni. The priceless moment transpired when the Yellow Army, led by its virtuoso leader, was taking a lap of honour in front of a jam-packed MA Chidambaram Stadium on May 14 (Sunday).
Gavaskar, who was doing the post-match duty for the host broadcasters, rushed towards Dhoni and got an autograph on his shirt. Revisiting the moment, an emotional Gavaskar on May 15 (Monday) spoke about why he wanted to make the moment a special one.
"When I got to know about Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni are going to take a lap of honour at Chepauk, I decided to create a special memory. That's why I ran towards MSD to take his autograph. It was his last home game at Chepauk. Of course, he will get a chance to play here if CSK qualifies for the playoffs. But I decided to make that moment special. I was fortunate enough that someone in the camera unit had a marker pen. So, I am thankful to that person as well," Sunil Gavaskar said while speaking from Star Sports Studio.
"So, I went to Mahi and requested him to sign an autograph on the shirt that I was wearing. It was so nice of him to acknowledge it. It was a very emotional moment for me because this fellow has made immense contributions to Indian Cricket," teary-eyed Sunil Gavaskar stated.
Before even IPL 2023 commenced over a month ago, fans and former cricketers began speculating about Dhoni's future. There were numerous reports claiming that IPL 2023 might be the last time Dhoni plays for the Men in Yellow. Having said that, Dhoni himself has come out and said that it is the fans who trying to give him a send-off and that he has not thought about retirement.
Gavaskar also revealed the two moments that he will always cherish in his lifetime and both involve the Indian team winning the World Cup.
“Kapil Dev lifting the 1983 WC Trophy & MS Dhoni hitting that winning six in the 2011 WC final are the two cricketing moments I would love to see before I die,” Gavaskar said.
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