Rahmanullah Gurbaz and MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Legendary Indian wicketkeeper-batter Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been arguably one of the greatest captains the game has ever seen. He guided India to win three International Cricket Council (ICC) titles during his stint as captain and led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to win five Indian Premier League (IPL) trophies.
Known for his calmness and presence of mind on the field, Dhoni has a huge fan base all over the globe. Notably, his fandom extends beyond ordinary cricket fans to include prominent cricket stars. Afghanistan and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz is one such player who is a massive admirer of the former India skipper. He even indicated his wish to play alongside Dhoni and former South Africa batter AB de Villiers ahead of the IPL 2023.
The youngster was in awe after receiving a signed jersey from the legendary skipper. The 21-year-old took to his official Twitter handle and posted the picture holding Dhoni’s CSK jersey.
“Thanks @msdhoni sir for sending the gift all the way from India,” Gurbaz captioned the post.
Notably, this was not the first time Dhoni presented an overseas player with a jersey. In January 2022, Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf also received a signed CSK jersey from the CSK skipper.
See Rahmanullah Gurbaz‘ post
Thanks @msdhoni sir for sending the gift all the way from india ❤️ pic.twitter.com/EaWtwz7CnY
— Rahmanullah Gurbaz (@RGurbaz_21) June 20, 2023
Gurbaz, who made his debut in 2019, is well-known for his aggressive batting style and superb shot selection. Apart from his international exploits, he also performed admirably for the two-time champions in the IPL 2023. He has amassed 227 runs from 11 innings, including two half-centuries at an average of 20.63 and a strike rate of 133.52.
Meanwhile, he struggled with the bat for the national side when they faced Sri Lanka in an away ODI series earlier in June. In the three-match series, the 21-year-old scored only 24 runs. Notably, Afghanistan were defeated 2-1 in the series.