Karachi-born fan Mohammad Bashir has been getting match tickets from former Indian captain and wicket keeper, MS Dhoni since 2011.
Bashir, also known as Chacha Chicago‘s bond with Dhoni has grown stronger over eight years when he gave the fan a match ticket for a World Cup semifinal between India and Pakistan. The star cricketer went out of his way to make sure Bashir doesn’t miss the 2011 Mohali semi-final.
The cricketer’s fan flew from Chicago to Manchester for the highly anticipated Pakistan vs India World Cup clash without a ticket but he knows Dhoni will arrange it for him.
“I arrived here yesterday and saw that people are ready to pay as much as 800-900 pounds for a ticket. A return ticket from Chicago costs the same. Thanks to Dhoni, I don’t have to struggle for a match ticket,” the 63-year-old told Indian news agency PTI.
Bashir shared that he keeps in touch with Dhoni through text messages. He said “Long before I came here, Dhoni assured me of the ticket. He is a great human being.”
He added, “Imagine I get the ticket for free when most would pay a fortune for it. I have got a surprise gift for him this time and I hope to give it to him later today.”
The die-hard cricket fan owns a restaurant in Chicago and calls himself an ambassador of peace and will be sporting both Pakistan and India’s colour on the day.
