Published 20:53 IST, July 7th 2020
'He had long golden hair': Aakash Chopra reminisces first sight of MS Dhoni
Aakash Chopra recalled meeting legendary cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the very first time on the occasion of his 39th birthday
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Aakash Chopra recalled meeting Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the very first time back in 2004 when India A had toured Zimbabwe and Kenya. MS Dhoni turned 39 on Tuesday and all the fans, as well as the members from the cricketing fraternity, came forward to wish the champion player. Meanwhile, Chopra also talked about Dhoni's long hair (during the early days of his career) and what made him a unique personality.
'Unique': Aakash Chopra
“I have seen a lot of cricketers in my cricket career of more than two decades, some from close quarters and some from a distance. While some had their focus on the game, others were interested in fame. While some climbed up the stairs of success, others only had their collars up. Some were crazy about cricket while others were struck by fashion. But this guy (the 2011 World Cup-winning skipper) was unique", said Chopra while interacting on his official Youtube channel named ‘Aakash Vani’.
“He had long golden hair, white sunscreen on the face, and branded goggles over his eyes. If you glance at him, you would ask him to move aside as this was a cricket ground and not a Bollywood set. But here only he surprises you, as he did to me, his own roommate.”
“The incident is from 2004, India A’s tour to Zimbabwe and Kenya when me, Aakash Chopra, a Test opener, and my junior MS Dhoni were sharing a room. When I would ask what he would like to eat, he would say whatever I wanted to order. When I would ask when he would sleep, he would say whenever I would switch off the light,” the former Test opening batsman added.
“To be honest, I had not expected such cordiality from this long-haired cool dude. I had thought he would say ‘You leave it, I will only order’ or ‘I sleep late, you can put the bedsheet on your face and sleep’. It is said that greatness starts with simplicity. Simple life, high thinking. You will think simplicity means underconfidence. Not at all, we are talking of MS Dhoni. Inke dikhane ke daant aur khaane ke daant kuch aur hain", the cricketer-turned-commentator further added.
MS Dhoni's credentials and eagerly awaited comeback
Dhoni is one of the best captains in the history of both Indian and world cricket. He is the only captain to win all the ICC events (World T20 2007, ICC Test Mace 2009, World Cup 2011, and Champions Trophy 2013). He led the 'Men In Blue' to two Asia Cup triumphs in 2010 and 2016 (T20I format).
The legendary cricketer was last seen in action during the heartbreaking World Cup 2019 semi-final loss at the hands of New Zealand in July last year where he had scored a painstaking 72-ball 50 and was involved in a 116-run partnership with star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja after India's early top-order collapse.
However, once Jadeja was caught while trying to match up with the asking rate and MS Dhoni was run out of a sharp throw from Martin Guptill it was curtains down for the Men In Blue as they lost the contest by 18 runs.
Meanwhile, Mahi was all set to lead the three-time winners Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2020 that was originally scheduled to get underway on March 29 but has been suspended indefinitely as of now due to the global pandemic. At the same time, MSD was also going to make his return to competitive cricket.
Updated 20:53 IST, July 7th 2020