Mahi, captain cool, Thali or just MSD: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is among the most powerful sportsmen on the planet and one of the most popular faces in India. He marked his 38th birthday in the midst of a so-far-successful World Cup tour for the Indian team.
The day before his birthday, India managed a healthy victory against Sri Lanka. Following the match, a candid Rohit Sharma — who became the first batsmen in the world to score five centuries in a single World Cup — told the press that the team would probably celebrate Dhoni’s birthday in the bus with some cake.
https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1147596327276228611
Dhoni’s fans, however, took things to the next level on Twitter when the day finally came. Six of the ten top trending items on Twitter on July 7 were about Dhoni.
The Chennai Super Kings, a team synonymous with Captain Cool, tweeted a heartfelt tribute to their star player and captain.
https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1147580247392448512
The ICC Cricket World Cup handle tweeted the image of Dhoni’s legendary winning six from the 2011 edition.
https://twitter.com/cricketworldcup/status/1147731975370870784
Amul, who have made several iconic cartoons featuring Dhoni, put them together in a compilation.
https://twitter.com/Amul_Coop/status/1147742334429253632
Meanwhile, Dhoni’s own fans have had a good 15 years to perfect their tributory messages. As expected, the material was good.
https://twitter.com/coolfunnytshirt/status/1147714407083810817
Virendra Sehwag himself tried his hand at some worldplay for Dhoni.
“7 continents in the World
7 days in a week
7 colours in a rainbow
7 basic musical notes
7 chakras in a human being
7 pheras in a marriage
7 wonders of the world
7 th day of 7th month- Birthday of a wonder of the cricketing world #HappyBirthdayDhoni . May God Bless You!”
https://twitter.com/virendersehwag/status/1147684399527452672
Dhoni’s own fans in Tamil Nadu found a a unique way of wishing their captain and making the world a better place at the same time — a blood donation camp!
https://twitter.com/Princemarupakaa/status/1147729172833304579
Dhoni fans are known for their dedication. In 2017, one ran onto the pitch just to be able to touch his hero’s feet. After letting the fan chase him around for a while, Dhoni gave him a hug and his dream came to life. Though the fan was escorted off the pitch by security, his expression speaks volumes about how happy he was.
https://twitter.com/DHONIism/status/1147716204368297985
Many fans celebrated across India with their own cake parties. Even so, the greatest celebration will be a second ODI World Cup win as Dhoni is expected to retire from ODIs following this tournament. For the captain who has seen it all and who has nothing more to prove, his final finisher will hopefully be the ultimate trophy.
