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[Saba Sports News] Amid a controversy involving the Maldives and India, former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni has expressed a desire to explore India before other countries for vacation. This comes in the wake of controversial remarks by a Maldivian minister about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent trip to Lakshadweep. The minister suggested that New Delhi might be positioning Lakshadweep as a competing tourist destination to the Maldives, leading to further controversial comments from other Maldivian officials.
In a recently surfaced social media video, Dhoni shared his travel experiences, noting that during his cricket career, his travels were mostly cricket-centric and he didn’t get much opportunity for leisure exploration. “Mostly, I do travel a lot but not for vacations,” Dhoni said, explaining that his cricket commitments limited his ability to enjoy the places he visited.
Now, with more time on his hands, Dhoni and his wife plan to focus on traveling for leisure, starting with the diverse and beautiful locales within India. “We want to travel. But we want to start from India. We have so many beautiful places over here,” Dhoni added.
This sentiment echoes the stance of several Indian cricket legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Venkatesh Prasad, and Suresh Raina, who have recently spoken out against the comments from the Maldives. These cricketers have advocated for appreciating and exploring Indian destinations. Dhoni’s video, where he praises India’s culture and beauty, further supports this growing preference for domestic tourism among public figures in India.