Players, relatives knock at Saibaba’s door

After their spectacular World Cup win, members of the triumphant squad are making a beeline to Shirdi. On Monday, Suresh Raina visited the Saibaba Samadhi.

Yuvraj’s mother Shabnam is reported to have called up the temple trust for a possible visit. MS Dhoni’s wife Sakshi has also called up senior trust officials to plan a visit.

Raina arrived in the afternoon in a helicopter that landed near the new Prasadalaya. He stayed at the shrine for nearly an hour. After prayers at the Samadhi Mandir, he went to Dwarkamai and Chavadi, other shrines around the main temple that mark the places where the saint lived.

The president of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Jayant Sasane gifted him an idol of Saibaba, a gold coin embossed with an image of the saint and a shawl.

“He performed a puja and accepted prasad,” said Sasane.
He added, “Yuvraj’s mother is a staunch devotee of the saint and comes regularly. So is Dhoni’s wife Sakshi. They have said they are visiting Shirdi in the next few days.”

The Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust has said that it will give a gold coin with the saint’s image to each member of the Indian cricket team that won the World Cup.