From veterans to present day’s superstars to fans, cricket fraternity has thronged to social media to celebrate the 39th birthday of the former and most successful captain of the Indian cricket team Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday.
Hailed as one of the greatest-ever captains in the history of the sport, Dhoni has won everything that a captain can win while playing cricket and remains the only international skipper to achieve the feat.
He has led team India to a ICC World T20 glory in 2007, ICC World Cup victory in 2011 before completing his ICC success with the Champions Trophy in 2013. He even took the Test team to the pinnacle of the ranking and earned the prestigious ICC Test Mace, becoming the first Indian captain to do that.
However, it had never been only about his leadership skill that made him the living legend he is today. Much before he became captain, the superstar in him had already taken birth, thanks to his powerful strokeplay and ice-cool determination to win matches from the jaws of defeat.
Apart from being one of the greatest limited-overs batsmen of this generation, Dhoni is also India’s best-ever gloveman behind the stumps. His impeccable wicketkeeping skills have placed him beside the likes of Adam Gilchrist, Kumar Sangakkara and Mark Boucher as one of the best to have donned the keeping gloves.
Its been almost a year that he has been away from the cricket field, yet conversations about his return or future retirement have never died out in the time since and he still remains one of the most talked about cricketers in the present era.
Several members of the Indian cricket fraternity took to Twitter to wish Dhoni on his special day.
“Happy birthday to my Bittu from your Chittu. My friend who has taught me to be a better human being and stood by me in bad times MS Dhoni,” India all-rounder Hardik Pandya wrote on Twitter.
Happy birthday to my Bittu from your Chittu 🤗 My friend who has taught me to be a better human being and stood by me in bad times @msdhoni 😘❤️ #HappyBirthdayDhoni pic.twitter.com/WfoRkMmAuo
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) July 6, 2020
“Happy birthday to MS Dhoni…a true leader who led from front, a true brother who stands for his real brothers. A true fighter till the last ball in play. Thanks a lot brother for such great moments with me…loved every advise given to me and team,” S Sreesanth said.
“Many more happy returns of the day to a man whose composure and patience continues to be an inspiration,” wrote VVS Laxman.
Many more happy returns of the day to a man whose composure and patience continues to be an inspiration. #HappyBirthdayDhoni pic.twitter.com/h1EXP6aohR
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) July 7, 2020
Virender Sehwag tweeted: “Once in a generation, a player comes and a nation connects with him, think of him as a member of their family, kuch bahut apna sa lagta hai. Happy Birthday to a man who is the world (Dhoni-ya) for his many admirers.”
Once in a generation, a player comes and a nation connects with him, think of him as a member of their family, kuch bahut apna sa lagta hai. Happy Birthday to a man who is the world ( Dhoni-ya ) for his many admirers. #HappyBirthdayDhoni pic.twitter.com/T9Bj7G32BI
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) July 7, 2020
“Here’s wishing a very Happy Birthday MS Dhoni to one of my favorite human, brother & a leader I could ever ask for! The man who has always played with his mind and heart. Thank you for all the inspiration Dhoni Bhai,” tweeted Suresh Raina.
Here’s wishing a very Happy Birthday @msdhoni 🇮🇳✅☝️! to one of my favorite human, brother & a leader I could ever ask for! The man who has always played with his mind and heart. Thank you for all the inspiration Dhoni Bhai 🤘🤗 pic.twitter.com/72eoMM7qwg
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) July 6, 2020
Dhoni, who made his debut in 2004 against Bangladesh, has been a remarkable servant of the Indian cricket. The 39-year-old has been a vital cog for Indian cricket ever since he made his entry into international cricket. Be it his brilliant glove work or his skillful batting, Dhoni has contributed in every way possible for taking the Men in Blue to the pinnacle of the sport.
He has so far played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs and 98 T20Is for India, amassing over 17,000 international runs.