An India-Pakistan match might be considered as the mother of all rivalries but there is no denying that the love between both the nations still prevails and, perhaps, one of its biggest examples is Chacha Chicago’s heart-warming story. Mohammad Bashir, famously known as Chacha Chicago, is a Karachi born cricket-fan. Bashir runs a restaurant in the city of Chicago. The 69-year Bashir has been coming to cricket grounds to support Pakistan cricket team for the longest possible time. However, his love for India isn’t any less passionate, mainly because of his Hyderabad born wife and India’s former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Chacha Chicago shares a great bond with Mahendra Singh Dhoni since 2011 World Cup. One of the most cherished bonds in World Cricket, Chacha Chicago-Dhoni relationship started during 2011 World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan.
Chacha’s love for Dhoni blossomed when the former skipper went out his way to arrange a ticket for him for the India-Pakistan semi-final match. Apparently, the former didn’t have the money to buy the ticket for that match and after standing outside the ground for two days begging for a sponsor, it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni who arranged him a ticket for that match.
Since that day, MS Dhoni sponsors his ticket for every India-Pakistan match happening across the world.
“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,” Chicago Chacha told PTI.
Despite all the workload that Dhoni has been surrounded with every day, he makes sure he commits to all his promises even today.
“I don’t call him as he is so busy. I keep in touch only through text messages. Long before I came here, Dhoni assured me of the ticket. He is a great human being. I can’t think of anyone else doing what he has done for me since that 2011 game in Mohali.
“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,” said Bashir.
After arriving at Manchester, Jalil met both Indian and Pakistan team members in their respective hotels and even clicked selfies with some of them, including Shoaib Malik, Sania Mirza to name a few.
Astonishingly, Mohammad Bashir once came in the Asia Cup final between India and Bangladesh as an Indian supporter, courtesy a heart-warming act from Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Dhoni himself came to Bashir’s hotel room a night before the match and handed him an Indian Cricket Team jersey and told him to wear it on the day of the match.
“Raat barah baje, kamre ki bell hoti hai Hayat hotel mein. Door kholta hu, samne Dhoni sahab khade hue hai. Hum log same floor pe the. Unhone mujhe bola Chacha naya, brand-new. Aap yeh T-shirt pehen na. Bashir recalled.
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