Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Pune share a special bond.
The few times Dhoni visited the city, he remembers having an amazing time and feels at home.
” it’s true…I started coming to Pune to play cricket. You know, I have a special affection towards army teams; The NDA, AFMC and CME are all here. A person like me who loves army teams obviously gets attracted to Pune “
On asking Dhoni if he visited any of these prestigious institutes, Dhoni immediately answered, “Yes of course. I visited the NDA ; Looking at the discipline and overall atmosphere, I wished I was a cadet there. There is another institute in pune but I haven’t gathered the courage to go there, that is the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre. I want to meet the soldiers at the PRC ( ALC ). Hopefully the time will come soon.”,
“ I also have 2-3 close friends in Pune who I can talk with openly and feel at home with;
I am very fond of simple home cooked food at their place. Our friendship is special.” said Dhoni.
Last year Dhoni captained the Pune IPL team, because of which his visits to the city were more frequent.
“I love playing cricket here”
Firstly, the new stadium is amazing and the atmosphere in the stadium is refreshing.This stadium is protected by various breeds of dogs, each more impressive than the other. I really enjoy seeing this, being a hardcore dog lover. Last year, owing to the drought, matches had to be shifted out of Pune and to other cities.
In the coming years, I hope to be in Pune more often, said Dhoni to his fans.
Pune365 : This interview was translated from Marathi by Ishant Rege
- Exclusive: Mahendra Singh Dhoni speaks to Sunandan Lele for Pune365 - January 12, 2017
