NEW DELHI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the only captain in cricket history to win all three ICC trophies, celebrates his 42nd birthday today.
On his 42nd birthday, Dhoni is being enthusiastically celebrated by fans nationwide.
As the special day approached, captivating images emerged, showcasing colossal Dhoni cut-outs in Hyderabad and Nandigama, Andhra Pradesh.
Standing at an impressive height of 52 feet, the Hyderabad cut-out portrays Dhoni donning the Indian jersey, while the towering 77-foot Nandigama cut-out features him in the training kit of CSK (Chennai Super Kings).
Notably, a video circulated online, capturing the moment when milk was poured over the Nandigama cut-out in a symbolic gesture.
Dhoni's stature as the most accomplished Indian captain remains unparalleled, with his remarkable achievements etching an indelible mark in history.
His leadership prowess propelled India to victory in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, making him the first and only captain to triumph in the Champions Trophy, ICC T20 World Cup (2007), and ICC ODI World Cup (2011).
After taking over the team's reigns in 2007, the Dhoni-led Indian team became the world No. 1 Test team for the first time in 2009.
The Government of India has awarded Dhoni the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2007), the Padma Shri (2009) and the Padma Bhushan (2018) for this contribution to sport. He was also named the ICC ODI Player of the Year for two consecutive years (2008 and 2009).
1/10:‘Captain Cool’ MS Dhoni’s ODI World Cup journey
2/10:Dhoni's World Cup heroics
<p>Dhoni is one of the most successful and influential cricketers in the history of Indian cricket. He had an illustrious World Cup journey, both as a player and as the captain of the Indian cricket team. He made 4-ODI World Cup appearances, where, as a skipper, he won the World Cup in the 2011 edition.<br /></p>Getty Images
3/10:Dhoni’s numbers in ODI World Cups
<p>Dhoni scored 780 runs in 29 WC matches at an average of 43.33 and a strike rate of 89.96 with 5 half-centuries and the highest score of 91* which he scored against Sri Lanka on the night of the 2011 WC final.<br /><br /><br /></p>Getty Images
4/10:2007 World Cup
<p>Dhoni made his debut in international cricket in 2004 but his first World Cup appearance came in the 2007 World Cup held in West Indies. As a wicketkeeper-batsman, Dhoni didn’t have the best beginning in the World Cup campaign as India was knocked out early in the tournament during the league stage.<br /></p>
5/10:2007 World Cup
<p>In 3 matches, he merely scored 29 runs at an average of 9.66.<br /></p>
6/10:2011 World Cup
<p>Dhoni's most memorable World Cup campaign came in 2011 when India co-hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup along with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. As the captain of the Indian team, Dhoni led from the front with his calm and composed leadership.<br /></p>
7/10:2011 World Cup
<p>In the final against Sri Lanka, Dhoni played a match-winning knock of 91 not out, including the famous winning six, to guide India to their second World Cup title after a gap of 28 years. <br /></p>
8/10:2011 World Cup
<p>In that tournament, Dhoni scored 241 runs in 9 matches at an average of 48.20 with a match-winning half-century to his name.<br /></p>
9/10:2015 World Cup
<p>Dhoni led the Indian team to its title defence in the 2015 World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand. Despite a strong start, India was knocked out in the semifinals by Australia. Dhoni contributed with crucial innings throughout the tournament, but India fell short of making it to the final.<br /></p>Getty Images
10/10:2015 World Cup
<p>Dhoni scored 237 runs off 8 matches at an average of 59.25 with a couple of half-centuries.<br /></p>Getty ImagesDhoni stepped down as Test captain during India's tour of Australia in 2014 after playing his 90th Test and then gave up the T20I and ODI captaincy in January 2017. He still has the most wins by an India captain in both the white-ball formats.
Famously called 'Thala' by his Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans, Dhoni has led the IPL franchise ever since the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008. CSK have won five IPL titles under his captaincy.
The only time he played for a different team (Rising Pune Supergiants), was during the two years when CSK was banned by the BCCI.
He has played 350 ODIs and 98 T20Is, having scored 10,773 and 1617 runs respectively. In ODIs, he has scored 10 centuries and 73 fifties. He has made two half-centuries in T20Is.
In 90 Tests, he scored 4876 runs, including six centuries and 33 fifties.
As a wicketkeeper, Dhoni has taken a total of 634 catches and has 195 stumpings to his name in international cricket.
