An open letter to MS Dhoni on his 42nd birthday

Mahendra Singh Dhoni celebrated his 42nd birthday today and he is the only skipper in the annals of cricket to have won all three ICC trophies.

Dear Ms Dhoni,

Today is your 42nd birthday and you have inspired me and millions of people around the world like no one has ever done before. In my early days, cricket was a big part of my life. The first time I saw you on television was at the first T20 World Cup 2007 where you made the whole country proud by winning the trophy and made me a cricket lover forever.

I was only 3 years old when you made your debut for India. A small town boy who came in at No. 7 with long hair, the innings didn’t last long against Bangladesh; you were exhausted in your first match and without facing a ball. But then, in your third appearance against Pakistan in Vizag, you hit a breathtaking 148* runs off 123 balls and announced your arrival on the international stage. Well, that was just a trailer. Who would have thought that this Ranchi boy would turn out to be the heart of a billion people worldwide in the next decade?

If that performance was the start of your brilliant career then one of my favorite strokes, when you scored 183 against Sri Lanka in a high profile chase, was a sign that you were here to stay and dominate the cricketing world. Who would have thought that a football enthusiast would take up cricket and conquer the world in the next few years?

Your leadership not only inspired me, but it motivated the entire generation. During WT20 2007, when I saw you for the first time in my life and it was your first ICC tournament as captain, I really liked the way you showed your exceptional decisiveness, and I can say that if you were with my side, “I would blindly go into battle with Dhoni by my side.”

My favorite moment of the 2007 WT20 Cup was when you defeated one of the strongest teams of the era in the 2nd semi-final, Australia. I was so mesmerized by your skills, patience level (how you handle the pressure), leadership quality and many more things, and finally you won that 2007 T20I trophy in your first major tournament, and at that point we all knew that Indian cricket at the lowest was because your team lost to Bangladesh in the 2007 ODI World Cup and got knocked out in the group stage, but as we all know, you are the man who can change everything, and yes, you changed after winning that trophy of 2007, and you made us believe that Indian cricket is here to conquer the world.

OHH!!! How can I forget the eternal memory of the 2011 World Cup when every cricket fan in India heard Ravi Shastri’s words that “Dhoni finishes in style? A beautiful blow in the crowd! India cancels World Cup after 28 years!” which made me so emotional that I got tears in my eyes, and of course you made every Indian emotional that day. Thank you, Dhoni, for that moment, which we will all cherish for a lifetime, and yes, we will tell your stories to our children: “Ek ladka tha Ranchi se jisne wicket ke piche se Indian cricket badal dia” (There was this one Ranchi boy who changed the face of Indian cricket standing behind the wickets).

You had a fantastic year in 2013. scored a maverick 200 in Chennai against the ever so dominant Australia when you were about to hang your boots in the longer format. It was a great triumph that you achieved by laundering Australia at home. But your victory in the Champions Trophy in 2013, where you captained a young side in England and also became the only skipper in the cricketing world to win all three ICC trophies, shows that you are a captain who can nurture a young team and she can transform into a world champion. beaters.

I can associate many words with you such as ‘cool’, ‘calm’, ‘tough’, ‘confident’, ‘contest winner’ and so on. But the most appropriate word to describe you is ‘unconventionally beautiful’. You are the man who did not play by the rules, whether as leader, batsman or wicket-keeper. You made your own rulebook and now everyone follows it.

India will miss you in the blues. I request you to retire and play for India again. I miss your composure in stressful situations, not only as a leader but also as a batsman. The fact that you have played so many matches for India and played so many decisive strokes for the country made you the best finisher in world cricket. As your career has ended in a memorable way, once again I wish you a happy birthday, MS Dhoni.