Legendary cricketer and former Team India skipper MS Dhoni is celebrating his 40th birthday. One of the greatest cricketers in the history of the gentlemen’s game, Dhoni was wished by the entire cricket fraternity on his special day. From Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, Team India captain Virat Kohli to Australian batting maestro Steve Smith, a host of cricket icons paid rich tributes to Dhoni as the Ranchi stalwart turned 40 on Wednesday. 

Former Australian skipper Smith, who played franchise cricket with Dhoni opened up about spearheading the Rising Pune Supergiant franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the former Team India skipper. During a Question and Answer (Q&A) session on Instagram, Smith was asked to share a few words about the talismanic batsman and leader of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Responding to the fan query on the photo and video sharing platform, Smith wished Dhoni a happy birthday before taking a trip down memory lane. 

“Terrific guy. Had the pleasure of playing alongside him at Pune. Great to play alongside. And I saw in my feed today that it is his birthday. So Happy Birthday Mahi! Hope you have a great day buddy,” Smith said in a post shared on Instagram Stories. When CSK and RR were suspended from the cash-rich league, Dhoni and Smith were roped in by the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant franchise

Just like Kohli, Australian batsman Smith was assisted by Dhoni during his IPL stint with the Rising Pune Supergiant franchise. Dhoni and Smith played a crucial role in guiding Rising Pune Supergiant to their only final of the cash-rich league in 2017. Following Rising Pune Supergiant’s departure from the IPL, Dhoni returned to the CSK franchise while Smith had fruitful stints with Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Delhi Capitals (DC). 

The 2021 edition of the IPL is set to resume in September this year. While Smith will be seen representing Rishabh Pant’s DC, Dhoni will continue to lead CSK in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) leg of the IPL 2021