MS Dhoni turns 41 on Thursday and his birthday is always an occasion that tends to trigger nostalgia for Indian fans due to the sheer scale of the former captain's effect on the national cricket team. His journey, however, started when another great Indian captain was at the helm. It was under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy that Dhoni made his international debut in an ODI against Bangladesh in December 2004.
Incidentally, Dhoni had become captain of the Indian team by the time Ganguly ended his illustrious career in 2008. Ganguly, who is now president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), shared a photo of the pair from their playing days with a note for Dhoni on the occasion of the latter's birthday.
“Happy birthday to a fantastic leader and tremendous player for India who served the country to the highest standards @msdhoni @bcci,” Ganguly said in his tweet.t
{{/usCountry}}“Happy birthday to a fantastic leader and tremendous player for India who served the country to the highest standards @msdhoni @bcci,” Ganguly said in his tweet.t
{{/usCountry}}Dhoni played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs, and 98 T20Is in his international career, which he ended on August 15, 2020. He led India to victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy, thus becoming the only captain to win all three ICC trophies. It was also under his captaincy that India had climbed to the top of the ICC Test rankings for the first time.
In the IPL, Dhoni has led Chennai Super Kings since the inaugural edition of the tournament. Under him, CSK have won four titles and are among the most consistent teams, having missed out on a playoff spot only twice.