Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri extend wishes as 'Captain Cool' turns year older

As wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni celebrates his 39th birthday today, wishes are continuing to pour in for the former India skipper.

Indian men's cricket team coach Ravi Shastri, skipper Virat Kohli and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have all sent in their good wishes for 'Captain Cool' Dhoni.

"Happy b'day Mahi Bhai. Wish you good health and happiness always. God bless you," skipper Virat Kohli tweeted.

"Happy Birthday Youngster! Have an absolute blast Legend," Indian team coach Ravi Shastri tweeted.

"Inspiration to his Army and Decimation to the Army beyond the Enemy lines. Couldn't find a better phrase to define @msdhoni, happy birthday Mahi Bhai, have a great day and continue to inspire all of us," Ashwin tweeted.

Dhoni has so far played 350 ODIs with his highest score being 183 against Sri Lanka. He also remains the only captain to win all major ICC trophies (50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy).

Also referred to as 'Captain Cool', Dhoni is known for his calmness and exquisite captaincy on the field.

Over the years, he has cemented his place as one of the finest wicket-keepers across the world. His agility behind the stumps has given India many breakthroughs as the Ranchi-based wicket-keeper has done successful stumpings in no time.

He is also known for his knack of opting for reviews and many have jokingly remarked to change the 'Decision-Review System's' name to 'Dhoni-Review System'.

In December 2014, he announced his retirement from Tests and gave a chance to the likes of Wriddhiman Saha. Dhoni called time on his Test career after playing 90 Tests, managing to score 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09.

Then in 2017, he handed over the captaincy to Virat Kohli in the 50-over format. However, the wicket-keeper enjoys a great camaraderie with the latter and the duo have been seen often taking decisions together on the field.

Under Dhoni's leadership, India also managed to attain the number one ranking in Test cricket. His Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has also won the tournament thrice under his leadership.

Dhoni was slated to return to the cricket field on March 29 during the IPL's opening match between CSK and Mumbai Indians. However, the tournament has been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 39-year-old has been currently enjoying some time away from the game. He last played competitive cricket during the 2019 World Cup. 

-ANI

Also Read: Sourav Ganguly reveals why Tendulkar never took strike on first ball of cricket match