Cricketers queue up to wish former Indian captain MS Dhoni on his 40th birthday

One of the finest players ever to have graced the game of cricket, MS Dhoni turned 40 on Wednesday (July 7) and wishes are pouring in for him from all over the world. The wicketkeeper-batsman took Indian cricket to great heights with his brilliance both in front and behind the stumps. His big-hitting gave nightmares to many potent bowling line-ups while his precised glovework doesn’t let batters breathe easy.

However, the skill which set Dhoni apart from his contemporaries is his ability to lead the team. The talismanic wicketkeeper is a great reader of the game which allows him to make perfect strategies. From handing the ball to Joginder Sharma in the 2007 T20 World Cup final to promoting himself ahead of in-form Yuvraj Singh in the 2011 World Cup final, Dhoni took many decisions which initially raised eyebrows but prove to be précised.

MS Dhoni – A destructive batsman, a brilliant wicketkeeper, and a phenomenal captain

Riding on his brilliance, India won several prominent series and tournaments. In fact, Dhoni is the only captain to have won all the three major ICC titles in white-ball cricket. In these triumphs, the wicketkeeper-batsman also did the talking with his bat and gloves. The dasher has a calm head which allows him to get under the skin of bowlers in the crunch overs.

Owing to this, we have seen Dhoni taking India to victory from the jaws of defeat on numerous occasions. Notably, the star batsman didn’t tend to lose his wicket while trying to up the ante. Hence, he has an average of over 50 in ODIs despite batting lower down the order for the majority of his career. His wicketkeeping prowess is also something that has troubled opposition time and again.

Be it taking breathtaking catches off fast bowlers or executing a lightning-fast stumping, Dhoni did it all. Moreover, the wicketkeeper’s guidance behind the stumps helped bowlers to deliver in the right areas and get the better of batsmen. Now, there’s hardly any player who can perform all these roles with such flair. This makes Dhoni one of a kind.

As of now, Dhoni is retired from international and one won’t his brilliance in the Indian blue jersey. However, he continues to feature for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He’ll next be seen in action in the second leg of IPL 2021, which will get underway in September in UAE. Meanwhile, let’s look at how Twitterati showered greetings on Dhoni’s special day.

Here’s how cricketers wished MS Dhoni