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What's the story?
Kidambi Srikanth will have another reason to be joyful as his idol Mahendra Singh Dhoni presented him with a signed bat. Srikanth has been a fan of Dhoni and looks up to him as an inspiration. In return, Dhoni has presented the current world no. 4 with a gift he will forever cherish.
In case you didn't know...
Kidambi Srikanth is currently ranked no. 4 in the world in the Men's singles category. However, the shuttler decided to opt out of playing at the Thomas Cup as he prepares himself for the upcoming tournaments.
Heart of the matter
M.S. Dhoni has been an inspiration to countless people. Sometimes, his fans themselves are big sports personalities. Kidambi Srikanth is one such fan of Dhoni.
Srikanth praised Dhoni's ability to stay calm in tough situations in a previous interview with Sportskeeda. He remarked that he is looking to learn this particular aspect of Dhoni's game, "This is something I have tried to change but unfortunately, haven't been able to. I'm still trying and hopefully, it will change."
The ex-Indian skipper sent a gift of his own to Kidambi Srikanth- a signed bat with a personal message for the Indian shuttler.
M.S. Dhoni's cool and calm demeanor in tough situations has proven to be an invaluable asset to the Indian team and has prompted many sportspeople, such as Srikanth, to try to include that in their game.
What next?
The next big tournament for Kidambi Srikanth will be the BWF Malaysian Open. The tournament will commence from June 26 and will provide Srikanth another chance to reclaim the number 1 ranking.
Author's take
Srikanth, recently, reached a career-high ranking of no. 1. He also won the Silver medal for India at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Now, with backing from his idol, Srikanth will be looking to return to the coveted no. 1 spot in the BWF World Rankings.
