IPL 2023: Sunil Gavaskar recalls 'emotional moment' as CSK skipper MS Dhoni autographs his shirt

IPL 2023: CSK captain MS Dhoni might have had his final encounter at Chepauk on Sunday. As CSK bid him farewell through a lap of honour, Sunil Gavaskar recalled the emotional moment when MSD autographed his shirt.

Former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) stays well on course to qualify for the playoffs in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). On Sunday, it played its final home meet of the season, failing to get over the line against two-time former champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Meanwhile, it was also dubbed the last game at the MA Chidambaram (Chepauk) Stadium in Chennai for legendary CSK leader MS Dhoni.

After the match, CSK gave Dhoni a lap of honour, where he was seen acknowledging the crowd, while he also took turns with a tennis racquet to toss some balls into the fans and some jerseys. Also, legendary former Indian Little Master Sunil Gavaskar was spotted sprinting towards him for an autograph, as the skipper obliged with his signature on his shirt.

Dubbing it an emotional moment, Gavaskar told Star Sports, "When I learned about Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni are going to take a lap of honour at Chepauk, I decided to create a special memory. That's why I ran towards MSD to take his autograph. It was his last home game at Chepauk."

"Of course, he will get a chance to play here if CSK qualifies for the playoffs. But I decided to make that moment special. Fortunately, someone in the camera unit had a marker pen. So, I am thankful to that person. So, I went to Mahi and requested him to sign an autograph on the shirt that I was wearing. It was so nice of him to acknowledge it. It was a very emotional moment for me because this fellow has made immense contributions to Indian cricket," added Gavaskar.

On being asked about the two cricketing moments he would forever cherish, Gavaskar bluntly replied, "Kapil Dev lifting the 1983 WC Trophy & MS Dhoni hitting that winning six in the 2011 WC final are the two cricketing moments I would love to see before I die."