'MS Dhoni Was An Intimidating Player' - Former South African legend sends birthday wish to 'Captain Cool'

Legendary Indian wicketkeeper-batter Mahendra Singh Dhoni turned 44 on Monday. Dhoni is the only captain in international cricket history to win the ODI World Cup, the T20 World Cup, and the Champions Trophy. He retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020, leaving fans heartbroken. However, he still plays in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings and even led the team during the 2025 season when regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was injured.

Recently, South African legend and IPL great AB de Villiers praised Dhoni and spoke about how tough it was to play against him. “It was very difficult to plan for MS Dhoni. When he was on song, nothing worked. Later on, we discovered that sometimes you could get away with wide deliveries with the seam, especially in the back end of his innings. We tried it. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't,” de Villiers said on JioHotstar's 7 Shades of MS Dhoni.

“The guy's class, not many game plans worked against him. I have a lot of respect for him and his achievements throughout his career. He was definitely an intimidating player to play against. What a fantastic career he had,” he added.

Dhoni Still Shining in IPL Despite Age and Injuries

Under Dhoni’s captaincy, the Indian Test team held the No. 1 ranking for 18 months. Just last month, Dhoni was also inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, Class of 2025. Even though he retired from international cricket nearly five years ago, Dhoni continues to play for Chennai Super Kings despite a nagging knee injury.

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He led CSK in most of the 2025 season when Gaikwad was out and helped the team win some important matches. Dhoni batted as low as No. 8 in some games, and while his power has faded, fans still fill stadiums to watch him play. All five of CSK’s IPL titles have come under Dhoni’s leadership, and the team still hopes their ‘Thala’ will return for the 2026 season.