SPORTS

Dhoni was aiming for a one run victory: Joginder

By Onkar Singh in New Delhi
September 27, 2007 14:03 IST

BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla lost his cool when he was confronted with the same question by journalists in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Media persons wanted to know when the victorious team would travel to Delhi and meet prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

"I am tired of answering this question since Wednesday afternoon. I have told the electronic media time and again that for the time being no meeting has been fixed. The team has already reached Bangalore to practice for the first one-dayer between India and Australia. Whenever the team travels to Delhi or Chandigarh an appointment will be fixed with PM and Mrs Sonia Gandhi," Shukla told rediff.com on phone from Mumbai.

He also clarified that all the cricketers living in Mumbai and former Indian captain Rahul Dravid had been invited for the felicitation but they chose not to come as it would divert the attention of the media.

That is contrary to what Board secretary Niranjan Shah has been saying. When asked why the former and current players were not invited, Shah said the function had been decided on at the last moment, and there was no time to send invites.

"Whoever came, came on their own. You don't need invites for such an occasion," Shah is quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Haryana cricketer Joginder Sharma, who bowled the crucial last over in the final match against Pakistan, told reporters that Dhoni was aiming for a one run victory "if I could contain Misbah-ul-Haq. Since he had played against me in several matches, the captain had the confidence that I would produce the results. I am glad I lived upto his expectations."

Sharma who reached around midnight in his hometown of Rohtak was surprised to see journalists waiting to meet him. Though tired he obliged the sports scribes.

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

Recommended by Rediff.com

NEXT ARTICLE

NewsBusinessMoviesSportsCricketGet AheadDiscussionLabsMyPageVideosCompany Email