Recently, Pakistani bowler Haris Rauf said that at the T20 World Cup in 2017, he approached former India captain, MS Dhoni, with a request to sign a signed jersey that he had brought with him.
The speedster said that he did not want to wear the jersey of Team India and instead made a request to wear the shirt of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Haris Rauf disclosed the news on the YouTube channel known as “The Grade Cricketer,” where he discussed the fact that MS Dhoni had finally sent him his number 7 CSK shirt when he was in Australia.
He remarked that: “Following the Twenty20 World Cup match that we played against India the previous year, I had the opportunity to speak with MS Dhoni. I politely requested that he lend me one of his shirts. But I explained to him that I didn’t want a Team India shirt; rather, I wanted a CSK one. He assured me that he would without a doubt send it to me. It wasn’t until I was in Australia that I finally got it.”
It is important to point out that MS Dhoni acted as Team India’s coach throughout their campaign for the T20 World Cup 2021. In the course of the World Cup, Pakistan recorded their first-ever victory against India by claiming a 10-wicket victory in Dubai over the Indian team captained by Virat Kohli.
Haris Rauf also talked about his interaction with Hardik Pandya
During India’s tour of Australia in 2018-19, Haris Rauf was allowed to bowl in the practice nets for the national team. The confidence of the 28-year-old was bolstered by Hardik Pandya during one of the training sessions, as the player remembered.
During a net session in Sydney, the tearaway pacer said that Pandya was pleased with his bowling. He said that the all-rounder had boosted his confidence by telling him that a call-up to the national team was just around the corner.
Rauf added: “The manager of the Indian cricket team was looking for such net bowlers who were capable of bowling to the batters in Australia. I had the impression that bowling in front of international cricket players would be a fantastic chance for me. In the practice nets, I bowled to players of the caliber of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli. When Hardik Pandya saw how well I was bowling, he complimented me on my performance and expressed his confidence that I would soon be selected to play for the Pakistan national team.”
After that, in the month of January 2022, Haris Rauf made his debut for Pakistan. It is interesting to note that he was successful against Pandya during the T20 World Cup 2021, as he dismissed Pandya for 11 runs in the matchup between the two fierce competitors in the Super 12 tournament.
