Happy Birthday Legend: An Open Letter To MS Dhoni On His 42nd Birthday

Dear MS Dhoni,

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

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

If that performance was the beginning of your brilliant career, then one of my favourite knocks, when you scored 183 against Sri Lanka in a high-profile run chase, was a sign that you were here to stay and dominate the cricketing world. Who would have imagined that a football lover would take to cricket and conquer the world in the coming years?

Your leadership not only inspired me but it motivated the entire generation. During the  WT20 2007, when I saw you for the first time in my life and it was your first ICC tournament as captain, I seriously loved the way you displayed your exceptional decision-making abilities, and I can say that if you were by my side, “I would go to war with Dhoni by my side, blindly.”

My favourite moment from the 2007 WT20 Cup was when you outplayed one of the strongest sides at the time, i.e., Australia, in the 2nd semi-final. I was so mesmerised by your skills, patience level (how you handle the pressure), leadership quality, and many more things, and at the end, you won that 2007 T20I trophy in your first major tournament, and at that time we all knew that Indian cricket was at its lowest because, in the 2007 ODI World Cup, your team lost to Bangladesh 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 2007 trophy, and you made us believe that Indian cricket is here to conquer the world.

OHH!!! How can I forget the everlasting memory of the 2011 WC when every cricket fan in India heard those words of Ravi Shastri that “Dhoni finishes off in style? A magnificent strike into the crowd! India lifts the 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 all will cherish for a lifetime, and yes, we will tell stories of yours to our children that, “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. scoring 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 major triumph you achieved by whitewashing Australia at home. But your 2013 Champions Trophy victory, where you led a young side in England and also became the only skipper in the cricket world to have won all three ICC trophies, shows that you are a captain who can groom a young team and turn them into world beaters.

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

India will miss seeing you in blues. I request that you come out of retirement and again start playing for India. I miss your coolness in stressful situations, not just as a leader but as a batsman as well. The fact that you have finished so many matches for India and played so many decisive knocks for the country made you the best finisher in world cricket.  As your career ended on a memorable note I wish you happy birthday once again MS Dhoni.