In a stellar career, MSD played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs and 98 T20I for India. He scored 4876 Test runs, 10773 in one-dayers and 1617 in T20Is. Dhoni was also a legendary captain and remains the only international leader to have won all three limited-overs ICC trophies. The 41-year-old captained India to victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 50-over World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. He retired from international cricket in August 2020.
On Thursday, Dhoni was addressing a crowd at an event while inaugurating the Chennai Super Kings-owned MS Dhoni Global School in Bangalore. Asked about his role model, the former cricketer replied, "Well, as a cricket role model, it is always Sachin Tendulkar. I was exactly like you guys, I used to watch Sachin Tendulkar play and always thought, ‘I want to play like him.’
“Later on, I realised, I can’t play like him but inside in my heart, I always wanted to play like him," the Indian legend added, while speaking at the event.
The answer was followed by a huge round of applause. Later, a young girl from the audience asks Dhoni about his favorite subject in school. He answered in a cheeky manner, “Does sport qualify as a subject?”. His reply again left the crowds in splits.
While Dhoni has retired from international cricket, he continues to be part of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The second-most successful captain in the T20 league, having led CSK to four titles, Dhoni has confirmed that he will be playing for the Chennai franchise in IPL 2023.
--By A Cricket Correspondent