MS Dhoni is one of the greatest captains in the history of Cricket. His legacy, on or off the field, remains unmatched. Dhoni also remains as one of the most successful captains in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and it’s obvious for aspiring cricketers to be tempted to do things like he does.
Shaik Rasheed, who was part of 2022 World Cup-winning U19 group, has recently revealed how he yearned to get his hands on a ‘Reebok’ bat because his idol Dhoni used one.
“When I was around eight years old, it was my birthday and I told my dad that I wanted a Reebok bat. It was Dhoni bhai who used to use that bat and we didn’t have that much money that time. So we could not buy that bat. After that, for an entire day, I was just crying,” said Rasheed.
“I was a ball boy during one of the games where I saw someone use that Reebok bat and somehow I couldn’t control my emotions. I really wanted to play with that bat,” Rasheed said further.
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The youngster was roped in by CSK for ₹20 Lakhs in IPL 2023 auctions and is using the opportunity to learn a lot from his skipper Dhoni.
“Mahi bhai said “Hi”. It was special for me. First I met him on the bus and then on the ground. Mahi Bhai told me, “Just do whatever you know.” He asked me to perform to my ability,” he said.
“After I finished the practice I learned how to prepare for the T20 format. When I was bowling, Mahi Bhai used to advise me on what I can do. And he would give suggestions after hitting the ball as well,” he added.