"May you always fly high like your helicopter shots"- MS Dhoni receives special wishes as he turns 42

The cricket community extended warm wishes to legendary Indian cricketer MS Dhoni as he turned 42 today, July 7. He retired from international cricket in 2020 after a 16-year storied career.

He played 538 matches for India across formats and scored 17266 runs at an average of 44.96, including 16 centuries and 108 fifties.

Dhoni etched his name in the folklore as one of the best captains of all time with his accomplishments during his leadership tenure. He became the first captain in 2013 to win all the ICC major trophies (2007 T20 World Cup, 2011ODI World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy).

MS Dhoni is still active in IPL as he recently led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fifth trophy in May. Much to the delight of his ardent fans, he revealed that IPL 2023 was not his farewell season and will try to return next year if he remains fit.

On the occasion of his 42nd birthday, Dhoni's former teammates and other members of the cricket fraternity and fans were quick to wish him on social media. His teammates from 2011-World Cup-winning Indian side Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag led the way with special posts.

Here are some of the wishes:

May you always fly high like your helicopter shots.
Happy birthday, MS! https://t.co/f9aqiY6HV0

The Sun God has 7 horses to pull his heavenly chariot.
In the Rigveda there are 7 parts of the world, 7 seasons & 7 fortresses
7 basic musical notes
7 pheras in a marriage
7 wonders of the world
And on
7th day of 7th month- Birthday of a top man @msdhoni , #HappyBirthdayDhoni . https://t.co/ZZwXBT5mLV

Happy birthday to my big brother @msdhoni ! 🎉 From sharing the pitch to sharing our dreams, the bond that we've created is unbreakable. Your strength, both as a leader and as a friend, has been my guiding light. May the year ahead bring you joy, success, and good health. Keep… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/0RJXCKEz7B

Happy Birthday,Mahi Bhaiya.
Enjoy your special day😇 https://t.co/B4qqG35UEZ

Happy Birthday bhaiyaa.! 💛

Your words of wisdom will forever stay close to my heart.!

#Legend @msdhoni https://t.co/x3OYONmfYJ

Happy birthday my favourite ❤️@msdhoni https://t.co/KWF83qlOhb

Captain. Leader. Legend! 🙌

Wishing @msdhoni - former #TeamIndia Captain & one of the finest to have ever graced the game - a very happy birthday 🎂

Here's a birthday treat for all the fans - 7️⃣0️⃣ seconds of vintage MSD 🔥 🔽

bcci.tv/videos/147316/… https://t.co/Nz78S3SQYd

From 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗶 𝗺𝗮𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗶 to 𝗗𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗶 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲… pure entertainment! 🫶

Happy Birthday, MSD 💙

#OneFamily @msdhoni @ICC https://t.co/OUPAC9DgVK

Happy birthday to the most successful captain and a wonderful human being. May your birthday be filled with fun and laughter Mahi bhai. Have a great one 🤗 @msdhoni #HappyBirthdayDhoni https://t.co/QIfSphq5hb

Happy birthday Mahi bhai 🤗 I remember the conversations we’ve had and all the advice you’ve given me. Wishing you the best always ❤️🙏 @msdhoni https://t.co/wAynPhJrVa

Wishing a very happy birthday to The Legend @msdhoni

#HappyBirthdayMSDhoni #GOAT𓃵 https://t.co/BoPLfOSKL8

Happy Birthday to the most successful captain of Team India, @msdhoni! Your charisma, leadership, and extraordinary skills continue to inspire millions around the globe. Thank you for your unparalleled contributions to Indian cricket. @BCCI https://t.co/ogeFGRXhI2

Wishing the incredible M S Dhoni Sir a very happy birthday! Keep shining 🎂🥳 #HappyBirthdayDhoni

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Not only a great cricketer but a man with a golden heart. 💛
Wishing a very happy birthday to the one and only @msdhoni! https://t.co/B6hiqCNTnY

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Warmest birthday wishes to the leader, the legend, and my brother @msdhoni!! Wish you the best always!! Lots of love ❤️❤️ https://t.co/HVEec6z9HR

Happy Birthday Bahubali 💪 @msdhoni .. May you continue to Inspire .. Have a great day Ahead #msdbirthday #DhoniBirthday https://t.co/MzY3gF3He8

#MSDhoni

The Coming Of Age

July 7 is the birthday of an extremely popular cricketer, MS Dhoni. The man turns 42 and is still going strong.

Here's a small birthday anecdote from 2007.

India were touring the United Kingdom and the team had just travelled from Ireland to England… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Wishing the legendary Captain Cool n Inspiration of Millions
@msdhoni an awesome birthday ❤️
#HappyBirthdayMSDhoni https://t.co/R3ihRfxXOX

World's first 360⁰ wicket-keeper.

#HappyBirthdayMSDhoni https://t.co/pxfeSb0JLU

Because in that Park
There is a .....🥵

MSD ICON OF WORLD CRICKET
#HappyBirthdayDhoni #MSDhoni https://t.co/pRNMDllmFe

If you leave MS Dhoni out of that team, I don’t think CSK will remain the same CSK without doubt: Wasim Jaffer

Former Indian batter Wasim Jaffer recently attributed CSK's success over the years to MS Dhoni's astute captaincy and presence.

The Yellow franchise is arguably the most consistent side in the history of IPL, as they have reached the finals and playoffs most times when compared to their peers. They also won the IPL five times, a feat matches only by Mumbai Indians.

In an interaction with Sportskeeda, Jaffer shed light on Dhoni's importance in CSK set-up, saying:

“CSK’s success is attached to Dhoni. If you leave MS Dhoni out of that team, I don’t think CSK will remain the same CSK without doubt. Taking such a team and leading them to an IPL trophy win, only Dhoni can do it.”

Wasim Jaffer backed his views by citing some difficult scenarios CSK overcame during IPL 2023. He added:

“They had very limited resources this year, especially if you look at their bowling. There is Tushar Deshpande, he’s played IPL, but had no success [before]. Matheesha Pathirana was new, while Akash Singh played the initial games. Deepak Chahar got injured for half of the tournament."

He also said:

“To win the IPL with such a bowling attack, only MS Dhoni can do it. Only he knows how to best utilize the resources available. CSK’s success is because of him. Take Dhoni away and they will struggle to make the qualifiers.”