By Express News Service

BENGALURU:  As a tribute to India’s most ‘capped skipper’ Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Karnataka Postal Circle has released a special cover to honour him. While the move to mark the National Sports Day on Saturday, with release of covers to honour 11 Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awardees from 2017 to 2020 was planned in advance, the cover on Dhoni was added following his resignation from one-day international cricket a fortnight ago. 

Sharda Sampath, Chief Postmaster General of the Circle, released the covers at Meghdoot auditorium of the GPO. In her address, she said, “The entire world is passing through hard times and the world of sports is no exception.

The pandemic has taught us the importance of fitness and health and a determination to fight – which are all qualities of sportspersons.” An official statement said, “Mahendra Singh Dhoni has the distinction of captaining the Indian cricket team in maximum number of games in all formats and the unique distinction of leading the team to victory in the World T20 championship in 2007, World Cup in 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.” This cover was sponsored by the Karntaka State Cricket Association.   

The athletes from other sports who were honoured with separate covers issued to mark each of the years bearing pictures of athletes imprinted on them are: 2017 awardees: Devendra Jhajharia (paralympic athletics) and Sardhara Singh (hockey); 2018: Saikhom Mirabhai Chanu (weightlifting) and Virat Kholi (cricket); 2019: Deepa Malik (paralympic athletics) and Bajrang Punia (freestyle wrestling); and 2020: Rohit Sharma (cricket), Mariappan Thangavelu (paralympic Aathletics), and Rani Rampal (hockey).

The Karnataka State Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports sponsored them. The special covers will be available for sale at Philatelic Bureaus of Bengaluru GPO, Mangaluru HO, Mysuru HO and Belagavi HO, and at e-post officewww.indiapost.gov.in.