Dhoni all praise for real heroes

On November 26, 2008, even as the financial capital of the country came under attack from the terrorists, the Indian cricket team was involved in a one-day international against England in Cuttack. Destiny has willed that Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men should be lodged at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, where a shoot-out between the terrorists holed up inside the hotel and the security forces lasted for more than two days, on the third anniversary of the attacks.

Speaking for the team, skipper Dhoni expressed his gratitude to the commitment and sacrifices of the security personnel entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the country. “I am always proud to be an Indian national, and being an Indian captain has instilled in me additional responsibility,” Dhoni remarked. “Cricket matches are like mini wars because you are representing your country, but it is just a sport. But incidents like 26/11 leave us all in a state of shock.”

The skipper said the real heroes of the country were not the cricketers. “We feel proud of our jawans who risk their lives to keep us safe,” the Jharkhandi said, with feeling. “I had attended a one-day training session of the NSG commandos once. I was really impressed by the kind of preparation these guys are put in. We feel ashamed when they call us heroes.

We are only sporting heroes, these are the men who are real-life heroes. It’s impossible to describe in words the work they do for the country. It gives us happiness and satisfaction when we come to know that they like to watch us play cricket and derive pleasure when we do well.”