MS Dhoni recalls giving Sunil Gavaskar autograph in IPL 2023: Special moment-OxBig News Network

MS Dhoni recently went down memory lane and fondly recalled giving an autograph to the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. The memorable moment took place during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, when Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were playing their last game of the season at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium.

As CSK was taking a lap of honour, Gavaskar briefly interrupted Dhoni to request an autograph. Dhoni obliged, signing Gavaskar’s shirt — a moment that quickly became iconic. Later, Gavaskar revealed that the shirt was safely preserved at his home.

“He’s very happy with what I’ve been doing on and off the field. I’ve made mistakes too, but more often than not, I’ve tried to do the right things. So, his appreciation feels like a stamp of approval—something very close to my heart.

“When he asked for an autograph, my immediate reaction was, ‘Okay, give the autograph.’ It was a special moment,” Dhoni said in a video on Star Sports.

Dhoni lauded Gavaskar for facing the fiery West Indies pace bowling attack, which had Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, Andy Roberts and others, with courage and determination. Gavaskar was also the first ever batter to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket.

“He’s a great of the game. Since I started playing cricket, there have been a few iconic names from that era and before, and Sunny bhai has always been one of them – especially for the way he played against the West Indian fast bowling unit. It wasn’t just one or two fast bowlers; they had an entire pace attack, and the way he performed against them was remarkable,” Dhoni added.

Dhoni also emerged as one of the greats of Indian cricket. Under him, India won the Men’s T20 World Cup 2007, Men’s ODI World Cup 2011 and Champions Trophy 2013. Dhoni retired from international cricket in August 2020 and has only played for CSK since then.