July 7, 2021: Wishes poured in from all around the country and cricket fraternity for former Indian captain MS Dhoni as he turned 40 on Wednesday.

Former India all-rounder Suresh Raina, who announced his retirement from international cricket on the same day as Dhoni did, tweeted a photo montage of the duo. “Wishing you a very happy birthday @msdhoni You have been a friend, brother and a mentor to me, all one could ever ask for. May God bless you with good health and long life! Thank you for being an iconic player and a great leader.#HappyBirthdayDhoni,” he wrote.

The former India skipper who is probably one of the greatest captains to grace the cricket field has won it all in his time: From the T20I World Cup in 2007 and the 2013 Champions Trophy to the 2011 ODI World Cup on home soil.

In a tweet, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wished Dhoni and said, “A legend and an inspiration! Here’s wishing former #TeamIndia captain @msdhoni a very happy birthday. #HappyBirthdayDhoni.”

Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammad Kaif also wished MSD on this special day.

“Dada taught us, youngsters, how to win and Dhoni made it into a habit. Two great leaders from different eras born just a day apart. Happy birthday to the men who shaped Indian cricket. @msdhoni @SGanguly99,” tweeted Kaif.

Dhoni, who made his international debut against Bangladesh in 2004, went on to play 538 matches across formats during his 16-year-long career. Dhoni played 350 One-Day Internationals, 90 Tests, and 98 Twenty20 Internationals for India. His last appearance in an international game came in July 2019, when India lost to New Zealand in the semi-final of the World Cup.

On August 15, 2020, Dhoni announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing down the curtains on an illustrious career. During his career, Dhoni amassed 4,876 runs in Tests at an average of 38.09 and scored 10,773 runs in ODIs at an average of 50.57. In T20Is, the swashbuckling batsman scored 1617 runs at a strike rate of 126.13. (ANI)