Before India‘s white-ball series against England in 2016, prominent bowler Mohammed Shami disclosed in an interview with TOI that he shares a paternal bond with MS Dhoni. His remarks gained widespread attention online, with many commending him for his respect towards Dhoni.
Now, in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, another cricketer from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team has termed Dhoni as his father figure.
CSK player refers MS Dhoni as his father
Matheesha Pathirana has secured 13 wickets in the current IPL season, elevating him to fifth among the league’s top wicket-takers. His consistent performance also made him finish among the top 10 wicket-takers in IPL 2023. Recently, Pathirana was featured in a video released by CSK on their YouTube channel, where he attributed his success to Dhoni. The Sri Lankan cricketer expressed that Dhoni has been akin to a father figure for him because the former CSK skipper took care of Pathirana and always gave crucial advice to the player.
“After my father, in my cricket life, mostly he (Dhoni) is playing my father’s role because he is always taking care of me, giving me advice, what I have to do, similar to my father when I am at home,” Pathirana said in the video uploaded by CSK.
He mentioned that Dhoni doesn’t offer a lot of instructions, whether on the field or off it. Instead, he provides small pieces of advice that carry considerable weight. Pathirana stated that he derives a great deal of confidence from these little things.
“He doesn’t say a lot of things when I am on the field and off the field. He only shares small pieces of advice, but they have a significant impact. So, I gain a lot of confidence from those little things,” the 21-year-old stated.
Here is the video:
“In my Cricket life, Dhoni is like my Father.”
🥹💛– Matheesha Pathirana 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/wvrLborwP2
— 🜲 (@balltamperrer) May 3, 2024
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Mustafizur Rahman leaves CSK camp with a jersey signed by Dhoni
Meanwhile, Fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman left India on May 3 to fulfil his national commitments for Bangladesh. Before departing from the CSK camp, Dhoni warmly greeted Mustafizur and presented him with his signed jersey as a token of appreciation. Delighted by this gesture, Mustafizur expressed his gratitude to the wicketkeeper-batter and expressed his desire to play alongside Dhoni again in the future.
“Thanks for everything Mahi bhai. It was a special feeling to share the same dressing room with a legend like you. Thanks for keeping faith in me everytime. Appreciating your valuable tips, I will remember those things. Looking forward to meeting and playing with you again soon.” Mustafizur wrote on X.
Thanks for everything Mahi bhai. It was a special feeling to share the same dressing room with a legend like you. Thanks for keeping faith in me everytime. Appreciating your valuable tips, I will remember those things.
Looking forward to meeting and playing with you again soon. pic.twitter.com/xEN9TYY9x1
— Mustafizur Rahman (@Mustafiz90) May 3, 2024