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AB de Villiers Pays Tribute To MS Dhoni On His 44th Birthday:"An Intimidating Player..."

Sakshi Sharma

MS Dhoni for India (Source;@imDhoni_fc,x.com)MS Dhoni for India (Source;@imDhoni_fc,x.com)

As MS Dhoni celebrated his 44th birthday on Sunday, cricketing greats from around the world came together to honour the legacy of one of India’s most iconic captains. Among the many tributes, South African legend AB de Villiers' heartfelt message stood out, as he recalled the challenges of playing against Dhoni and praised his phenomenal career.

AB De Villiers Special Wish For MS Dhoni

Speaking on JioHotstar’s special program '7 Shades of MS Dhoni,' AB de Villiers described the former Indian skipper as an 'intimidating player to play against', especially when in top form.

"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.


"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," De Villiers said on JioHotstar's ‘7 Shades of MS Dhoni’.

M.S. Dhoni The G.O.A.T

From finishing games with calm precision to leading India through some of its most glorious cricketing moments, MS Dhoni’s career is legendary. He played 538 matches, amassed 17,266 runs, and recorded 829 dismissals as a wicketkeeper.

MS Dhoni was last seen playing in IPL 2025. One of the most notable records held by the former captain is that he tops the list of captains with the most matches in the IPL. He has played 235 matches as captain. No other captain has even played 175 matches.

It is important to mention that under his captaincy, India won: The 2007 ICC T20 World Cup in South Africa, The 2011 ICC ODI World Cup on home soil, the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England.

Quiet Celebrations, True To His Nature

True to his low-profile nature, MS Dhoni celebrated his 44th birthday in simple fashion with his friends and JSCA staff in Ranchi. Dressed casually in a sleeveless black T-shirt, he cut the cake and shared a light moment with staff, including association president Ajay Nath Shahdeo.

A short video from the celebration, showing Dhoni smiling and thanking everyone for their wishes, quickly went viral on social media.