Mandeep Singh got married in 2016. (Instagram/MandeepSingh)
MS Dhoni had taken three flights and a long drive to surprise Mandeep Singh at his marriage ceremony, the Punjab batsman revealed. Dhoni had not told Mandeep that he would turn up, but eventually reached the venue half an hour before the groom, Mandeep Singh said.
“My wedding was in December 2016, I invited Mahi bhai. He didn’t tell me whether he would come, he said he needed to go to New York. But he came to my wedding and surprised me. For him to take time away from his busy schedule and come, it was a memorable moment for me,” Mandeep Singh told Sportskeeda.
He added, “From Ranchi to Delhi to Amritsar is three separate flights and then he had to take a two hour drive during the harsh fog and biting cold at that time. He took so much effort to come even though I had played only a few matches with him. That’s his simplicity, that’s his greatness.”
Not only had Dhoni surprised everyone by turning up at the venue, he also made it by 8 pm, before Mandeep himself had turned up. Mandeep also added that Dhoni had surprised Ishant Sharma and Suresh Raina in the same way at their respective wedding ceremonies.
Mandeep Singh hadĀ made his T20I debut in June 2016 against Zimbabwe under the stewardship of MS Dhoni. He had been the highest run-getter from that T20I series, with 87 runs from three games, including a 40-ball 52* in the second T20I.
Speaking of his bond with his one-time captain, Mandeep said, “He (Dhoni) doesn’t show off his status or that he is a legendary cricketer. I remember he would always eat with me, we would order desi food like biryani, sit down and eat. It was great to spend time with him.”