ODI World Cup 2023: Sunil Gavaskar requests BCCI to give 'Golden Ticket' to former world champion captains Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni

The much-awaited ICC Cricket World Cup is set to begin on October 5, across ten different venues in India. This will be the fourth time India acquired the rights after hosting the ICC global event in 1987, 1996, and 2011, respectively. Ahead of the showpiece event, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has established a massive initiative by presenting 'Golden Ticket' to some prominent names in the country.

Earlier in September, the Bollywood icon, Amitabh Bachchan, received the ticket, becoming the first person to acquire the special pass. After a few days, Jay Shah, BCCI secretary, presented the same to legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar. Sunil Gavaskar, World Cup-winning cricketer, praised the BCCI for their initiative, saying it is a 'terrific one.'

"The decision by BCCI secretary Jay Shah to honour persons who have done yeoman service in their respective fields is a terrific one. As of writing, the one and only Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar have been given a golden ticket to witness the World Cup matches," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

He further picked some prominent names in the nation who will potentially get the 'Golden Ticket.' The two World Cup-winning captains MS Dhoni and Kapil Dev, along with the Olympic gold medalist, Neeraj Chopra, and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) chief, S. Somnath, too deserve to get the special pass, according to the 74-year-old.

"It is not known how many others are on the list, but hopefully, the chief of ISRO, under whom India landed on the moon, will be one. Of course, two others who deserve the golden ticket are the two World Cup-winning captains, Kapil Dev and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic and World Athletics Championship gold medallist, is another one who comes to mind for the BCCI golden ticket," he continued.

It's a great initiative that is seen at Wimbledon and the US Open Tennis: Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar went on to praise BCCI, stating it is a type of initiative that was seen at Wimbledon and the US Open Tennis. He added that India has several sporting heroes and recognizing them will push the image of BCCI. Moreover, he also namedropped some eminent names in the form of veteran Tennis played Rohan Boppana who recently had a great run in the US Open along with the Table Tennis legend, Sharath Kamal.

"It's a great initiative that is seen at Wimbledon and the US Open Tennis, where current as well as former champions from other sports are special invitees to witness the tournaments. India has so many sporting heroes, if they are also recognised with the golden ticket, the image of the BCCI will get really bright. Rohan Bopanna, who finished runner-up at the US Open recently, and Sharath (Kamal) who is a super legend in table tennis, are two other names. It's the recognition that matters. Well done, BCCI!" the former India captain added.