The 74th Independence Day of India started off on a great note with the traditional events in New Delhi. However, the evening of this day has clearly left the cricketing fans shocked. Former Indian captain MS Dhoni, who hasn’t played any cricket for over a year now, announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket. Out of nowhere, the Ranchi cricketer decided to announce this news through Instagram. Wishes poured in for the legend soon after and Irfan Pathan spoke about the man of the moment too.

Irfan Pathan and MS Dhoni made their international debut in the same year and have played several games together. They were also together in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well. In a chat with CricTracker, Irfan Pathan shared a wonderful message for his special mate on the occasion of his retirement.

MS Dhoni’s captaincy records are tough to break

In his message from the wicketkeeper-batsman, Irfan wrote that they spent a lot of time together. He even added that MS Dhoni achieved a lot in between, from making his debut in 2004 with long hair to retiring in 2020 with short hair. Irfan Pathan lauded the 39-year-old that he became an inspiration to many and even mentioned that he brought calmness to Indian cricket with his captaincy. He mentioned that MS Dhoni’s captaincy records are tough to break.

“We spent a lot of time together, from making debut in 2004 with long hair to retiring in 2020 with short hair, he achieved a lot in between. He became an inspiration for many. It was all about aggression before him, but he brought calmness to Indian cricket with his captaincy and was successful in numerous ways. All of his captaincy records are tough to break,” Irfan told CricTracker.

Dhoni, who retired from the longest format after playing 90 Tests in 2014, represented India in 350 ODIs and 98 T20Is. With an average of over 50 in ODI cricket, he remains to be one of the most successful batsmen for India. MS Dhoni has also led the team in more international games than any other player. Right after Dhoni’s announcement, his mate Suresh Raina also decided to hang up his boots.