MS Dhoni 44th Birthday: MS Dhoni is celebrating his 44th birthday on July 7, 2025 (today), and the cricketing world pauses to celebrate the journey of India's one of the greatest icons.

From a small-town boy from Ranchi to one of the most successful captains in cricket history, Dhoni’s legacy is a blend of calm leadership, clutch performances, and unmatched cricketing acumen. ICC posted a video tribute to Dhoni with the Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood talking about the former Chennai Super Kings skipper and sharing his thoughts on the great man during his time with the five-time IPL champions.

Hazlewood was part of the MS Dhoni-led CSK that lifted the IPL title in 2021. That was the second IPL season of Hazlewood's career, and he stepped up with a huge impact under Dhoni's leadership, taking 11 wickets in nine matches.

 
 
 
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Fans were quick to wish Dhoni as well and recalled his success both as the Indian skipper and CSK's leader. Dhoni achieved immense success as the skipper, winning all three major ICC trophies (ODI WC, T20 WC and ICC Champions Trophy) as the Indian skipper.

Dhoni's entry into international cricket in December 2004 was marked by a big-hitting and attacking approach. His breakout innings — a blistering 148 against Pakistan in 2005 — immediately announced his arrival. But beyond his power-hitting, what stood out was his composure and game sense, traits that would define his career in the years to come.

Captaincy brought out the best in Dhoni. Appointed India's limited-overs captain in 2007, he led a young team to an unexpected triumph in the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in South Africa. This win marked the beginning of a golden era for Indian cricket. Under Dhoni's stewardship, India climbed to the top of the Test rankings in 2009 and went on to win the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011 at home — a dream that eluded the country since 1983. His iconic six to finish the final at the Wankhede Stadium against Sri Lanka remains one of Indian cricket's most unforgettable moments.

In 2013, he completed the ICC treble by leading India to victory in the Champions Trophy in England, making him the only captain in history to win all three major ICC white-ball tournaments.

Talking about his IPL career, Dhoni was bought by the Chennai Super Kings during the auction of the inaugural edition back in 2008, which began one of the great associations in the league’s history. Since then, Dhoni has played 278 matches in his IPL career, including a two-year stint with Rising Pune Super Giants in the 2016 and 2017 editions.


MS Dhoni As IPL Captain

Dhoni holds multiple special records as a captain in the IPL, including most matches played as captain (226), most wins as captain (133), most finals as captain (10), most playoff appearances as captain (12), and joint-most IPL titles as captain with Mumbai Indians stalwart Rohit Sharma. Under his captaincy, CSK lifted the coveted crown in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023. Overall, Dhoni has led in 226 matches in the IPL and won 133 games.