CHENNAI, India, (Reuters) – A cricket-crazy Indian fan has sold his business to fund a dream of meeting Mahendra Singh Dhoni, domestic media reported on Friday.
Ravindra Kumar Saini from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh sold his audio and video disc business for 15,000 rupees (about $307) last month, Times of India reported.
The 23-year-old then stayed in the Indian captain’s hometown of Ranchi in eastern India for 35 days before finally meeting Dhoni on Wednesday outside the regional airport.
Dhoni has a tight security ring around him when travelling within the country, where top cricketers are treated like show business celebrities in India.
“(My fiancee) was very surprised when she heard about my accomplishment,” Saini told PTI agency.
“Both of us are Dhoni fans but the degree of my liking is much more than hers, which prompted her to ask me to go for a test, and the rest you know,” he added.
Animesh Kumar, a friend of the Dhoni, told PTI: “We know that this man was staying in Ranchi for quite some time.
“He approached us to meet Dhoni. He fulfilled his dream of meeting Dhoni at the airport.”