Sachin, Dhoni to fly Sukhoi soon, says IAF chief

Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar will be flying the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, the frontline fighter of the Indian Air Force.

"We are awaiting availability of time from their cricketing commitments. They will be flying the Sukhoi once they can spare time," Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik told PTI.

The Air chief hoped that there will be time available after the IPL season ends next month. "Sachin and Dhoni have done the country proud," he said.

Air Chief Marshal Naik was here yesterday to inaugurate the Umralkar Hall, in his alma mater, the Sainik School Satara, one of 24 such institutions in the country.

The Hall has been built to facilitate training of school cadets for the National Defence Academy by former student Lt.
Col. Yashwant Umralkar (retd), brother of another alumnus, Pilot Officer Ragunath Umralkar, who died in an aircrash in the 1971 war.