'Terrific Guy' - Steve Smith wishes MS Dhoni on his 40th birthday

Wishes seem not to be stopped for former India captain MS Dhoni who turned 40 on Wednesday. If Cricket Australia (CA) uploaded a video of his six-hitting prowess, then Steve Smith too paid a tribute by wishing on his special day.  The 32-year-old had the privilege to get involved with captain Dhoni when he was the skipper of the Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Smith took over from the 40-year-old in the year 2017, when RPS failed to qualify for the playoffs in the year 2016 when Dhoni was the leader. But that didn’t stop the wicketkeeper-batter to give advice to Smith whenever he needed one. RPS reached the final that edition, only to lose a thriller against Mumbai Indians by just one run.

In a Q & A session conducted on Smith’s official Instagram account, the batter was asked about Dhoni, while playing in the IPL. “Terrific guy. Had the pleasure of playing alongside him at Pune. Great to play alongside. And I saw in my feed today that it is his birthday. So Happy Birthday Mahi! Hope you have a great day buddy,” Steve Smith stated.

Steve Smith opens up about Virat Kohli

Apart from admiring Dhoni, Smith was also seen effusive in praise of India skipper Virat Kohli. Although the two players have had face-offs in the past, it is off the field where the two players share an immense amount of respect for each other. While Kohli mocked Smith while speaking on the mic during a match Down Under, he was also quick to support the right-hand batter during the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019 when the crowds were constantly booing him.

Kohli while batting at the crease, immediately gestured to the crowd to stop booing Smith and appreciate the batter instead. The Aussie star was quick to acknowledge this gesture and patted Kohli on the back. This one incident helped them get closer and forget about the past incident. The right-hand batter recalled the incident and rated the Indian skipper highly.

“I really enjoyed the Q & A between us last summer. Was good fun, great insights, and great to get to know Virat a bit more on the personal level. Really love the guy,” Steve Smith said.