South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir said he was completely impressed with MS Dhoni in his first meeting with the World Cup-winning former Indian skipper whom he reckons is ‘such a down to earth guy’. Tahir said he had watched MS Dhoni on television but hadn’t met him in person until he was bought by the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016.
Tahir recalled his first meeting with Dhoni, saying, “I had been watching him on TV. But I never met in person. I first met him when I got picked for Pune and actually I was quite nervous. But I was amazed, I was outside my room door and he came to me from his room and said: ‘Imran bhai, welcome. This is my room and you are more than welcome anytime.’ This is probably the best thing to hear from a legend like Dhoni. He is such a down to earth guy.”
ALSO READ: MSK Prasad Feels India Should Go With Huge Contingent To Australia
He further elaborated, “I thought ‘If you are offering me that, I am definitely coming to your room’. We used to go to his room, we still go because he gets mangoes coming in from all over the world. We love to eat that. Anything comes to his room, he offers to everybody. It’s been a special journey with him. I really hope I get another year, or 2, or 3 years to play with him and make my journey more special.”
Imran Tahir, who bought by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of their title-winning campaign in 2018, has been an integral member of the Chennai based team. Tahir won the Purple Cap, picking up 26 wickets in IPL 2019 wherein CSK reached the finals. Shedding light on what makes CSK a successful franchise, Tahir said Dhoni’s captaincy and a family-like atmosphere in Chennai makes the team special.
The veteran leg-spinner said, “They are a very professional team, right from the owners to team management. We never feel like there is pressure from anyone. And we have the best captain in the world. I feel so comfortable, me and my family, because every time we go there, they treat us just as their family and this is something you won’t see anywhere.”
ALSO READ: MS Dhoni Feels The Game Of Poker Has Similarities With Cricket
He further added, “CSK is the best franchise I’ve played for. What makes CSK special is we respect each other, we play really hard and we enjoy our victories. So, it has been an amazing experience playing for CSK. The CSK family is very close to my heart.”
