OTD: Birthday of MS Dhoni, who turns myths into reality

July 7, 1981—it was the day when Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born. The boy from Ranchi, Jharkhand, later became the legend of Indian cricket. Today he turns 44, but the amount of birthday wishes and love from the fans he receives years after retiring from international cricket describe the legacy and impact he made during his cricketing days.

From a ticket collector to a trophy collector, Dhoni dared to cross the road, which perhaps most people can't even imagine till today. For a gentle reminder: MS Dhoni was a ticket collector in Kharagpur, West Bengal, before starting his professional cricket career. 

He was ahead of his time. When he first stepped into the field with the Blue Brigade, carrying a new approach to playing the game, it quickly put him under the spotlight. His iconic helicopter shot became one of the most popular shots among cricket fans across the world.

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One man, countless moments

"Dhoni finishes off in style"—that Ravi Shastri comment and Dhoni's gigantic six to earn wins for team India was an iconic moment of cricket. It was Captain MS Dhoni who broke the jinx. After a long 28-year wait, India finally won the ICC Cricket World Cup after defeating Sri Lanka in the final. Dhoni hit the winning runs with a six. 

Before that, the 2007 ICC T20I World Cup final. It was Captain Dhoni; only he could think about asking the underrated Joginder Sharma to bowl the final over and get a win only by 5 runs—it was a crazy moment. Dhoni's partnership with Yuvraj Singh in the 2013 Champions Trophy, another frame to remember. He was recently inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.