The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : ‘Chak De’ moment with Shah Rukh

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Tuesday, Sep 25, 2007
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‘Chak De’ moment with Shah Rukh

— PHOTO: AFP

CHEERLEADER: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan celebrates India’s victory against Pakistan in the final at the Wanderers on Monday.

Johannesburg: The choc-a-bloc crowd at the New Wanderers erupted in joy under a sea of tri-colours while players and support staff charged onto the field after Mahendra Singh Dhoni did a Kapil Dev and led India to a World Cup glory, though in a different format.

Dhoni wanted to play down the hype surrounding an India-Pakistan tie but in the end, it turned out to be a humdinger, a match of fluctuating fortune and India had the fortune of the brave to end up on the right side of the edge-of-the-seat-thriller.

Not for weak-hearted

It was not a match for those weak at heart and once they had pulled off the tie, the Indian players were hugging each other, while Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvvraj Singh grabbed a stump each as souvenirs.

This was followed by a victory lap. Suddenly Yuvraj rushed to the gallery where a supporter handed him a national flag and soon each of his teammates got hold of one.

Harbhajan was ecstatic, relieved that his expensive third over, in which he was hit for three sixes, did not cost India the match.

The prankster in Yuvraj soon pinned down Virender Sehwag, who missed the match with a groin injury, and then his teammates followed suit.

Dhoni, meanwhile, did a Salman Khan as he took off his jersey and gifted it to a young fan and walked bare-chested as ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed came forward to shake hands.

After the prize distribution ceremony, Indian players shared their ‘Chak de’ moment with Shah Rukh Khan, who had flown in just to watch the match. — PTI

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