As Donald Trump celebrated unexpected victories in seven crucial states that catapulted him to the White House, a photo of him with former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni surfaced online and quickly went viral. The photo, taken during a golf session at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, has once again caught the attention of fans around the world.
Following Trump’s appearance at the 2023 US Open, Dhoni, known for his calm demeanor on the cricket field, joined Trump for a round of golf. Dhoni, who was a guest at the quarter-final match between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, was filmed with Trump while trying his luck in sports.

Trump’s interest in Indian cricket stars is not new. Trump displayed surprising familiarity with the sport during his visit to India in 2020, naming prominent Indian cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. His praise for these “greatest cricketers in the world” showed how well he understood India’s cricketing icons and added a layer of relatability to his Indian-American supporters.

The phrase “Thala exists for a reason” is one of Indian cricket’s most iconic memes, associating MS Dhoni’s iconic No. 7 jersey with everything from rainbows to fizzy drinks.

This wasn’t the first time Trump rubbed shoulders with cricket legends. In 2019, during his presidency, he met another famous former Indian captain, Sunil Gavaskar, at his private golf course in New York. According to Gavaskar, their conversations included entertaining exchanges, such as Trump’s curiosity about Pakistani cricket star and then Prime Minister Imran Khan. Gavaskar asked Trump: “How good is ‘Khan’?” he remembered asking. This question almost made Gavaskar explain which ‘Khan’ he meant; a playful nod to popular Bollywood actors Salman, Aamir and Shah Rukh Khan.
Trump, who is currently campaigning to retake the White House, displayed an unlikely rapport with Dhoni as they were both seemingly at ease during their time on the golf course. The former president even managed to find time for this relaxed session in the middle of a busy campaign season.