Indian soft tennis player gifts a racquet to cricket legend MS Dhoni [Watch]

Indian soft tennis player Aniket Patel recently shared a heartwarming moment on social media, where he gifted a racquet to cricket legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. At 43, Dhoni has left a lasting legacy in the sport, being the only Indian captain to win three ICC trophies.

Aniket took to Instagram to share the moment where he presented a racquet to Dhoni, while the former Indian cricketer also gifted him a signed jersey. Aniket captioned the post:

“An unforgettable moment. Met the legend MS Dhoni for the first time and had the honor of gifting him a racket. What a down-to-earth and humble soul he is! Truly inspiring to meet someone of his stature who’s so grounded.”

MS Dhoni retired from Test cricket in 2014 after representing India in 90 matches, scoring 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09, with 33 fifties and six centuries.

He then called time on his white-ball career on August 15, 2020, marking the end of his remarkable international journey. In ODIs, the wicketkeeper-batter played 350 matches, amassing 10,773 runs at an average of 50.57, including 73 fifties and 10 centuries. Additionally, Dhoni featured in 98 T20Is, scoring 1,617 runs.

Dhoni also ranks third on the list of most dismissals by a wicketkeeper across formats, with 829 dismissals behind only Mark Boucher (998) and Adam Gilchrist (905).

---

MS Dhoni is set to return to action in IPL 2025 for CSK

MS Dhoni will return to action for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025, starting March 21. Dhoni was retained for INR 4 crore as an uncapped player since he hasn't played an international game in five years.

Meanwhile, he continues to be one of the most successful captains in IPL history, having led CSK to five IPL titles. With the bat, the right-handed batter has scored 5,243 runs in 264 matches at an average of 39.12, including 24 fifties.