New Delhi, Apr 5: He may have earned crores of rupees but India Cricket Captain M S Dhoni is still to receive about Rs 4,000 as arrears from his former employer Railways with whom he had worked as ticket collector.
"An amount of Rs 4,000 is still due to him and we wish to inform him about this," said a senior Railway officer, who fondly remembered him as a "bright player" in the South Eastern Railway cricket team.
Dhoni was a ticket collector in Kharagpur station between 2001 and 2004, during which his talent was recognised, the officer said.
The Railways came to know about the arrears that it owed to Dhoni while recalling his services after the Indian team lifted the World Cup. Dhoni earns crores of rupees through brand endorsements and match fees and the kitty has only grown bigger through cash rewards after the victory.
Dhoni was inducted into the Railways by the then Divisional railway manager of Kharagpur division A K Ganguly, a cricket enthusiast himself, through a 'talent spotting' recruitment drive.
Ganguly was desperately looking for a wicket-keeper batsman.
"He could recognise Dhoni's talent and extended all support to the budding cricketer realising his potential," the officer said.
As he became popular among his team mates, scores of sports bodies and houses started approaching him to play for them.
Locals remember him for his passion for cricket, who shared space with the captain of the South Eastern Railway in a humble railway quarter in Kharagpur.
Dhoni had always cherished his association with Ganguly and his contribution to his career. He had rushed to Kolkata on hearing about Ganguly's death few years back, the officer said.
In 2004, he left Railways for the erstwhile Indian Airlines, but South Eastern Railway cricket team still cherishes him being a part of their family once.
On Sunday, senior sports officer of Western Railway and former Captain of Indian Women's Cricket team Diana Eduljee handed over a letter from Railways Mamata Banerjee to Dhoni in Mumbai congratulating him and the Indian team on behalf of the Railway family. PTI
