Eternally grateful for all that you've done: PM Narendra Modi pens appreciation letter to MS Dhoni

Image Credits: Twitter/@ICC

Former Indian skipper and wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday shared a letter of appreciation for him from Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his retirement from the international cricket.

On Saturday on the occasion of India's 74th Independence Day, the 39-year-old bid adieu to international cricket and thus called curtains on his illustrious career spanning 16 years.

Following his retirement, PM Modi wrote a lengthy two-page emotional letter for Dhoni, lauding the former Indian captain for his achievements on the cricket field and for everything he has done for the game in the country.

"Your dependability in tough situations and your style of finishing matches, particularly the 2011 World Cup Final, will forever be etched in the public memory for generations. But, the name Mahendra Singh Dhoni will not be remembered merely for his career statistics or specific match-winning roles. Looking at you as just a sportsperson would be injustice. The correct way to assess your impact is as a phenomenon! Rising from humble beginnings in a small town, you burst onto the national scene, made a name for yourself and most importantly made India proud," a part of PM Modi's letter to Dhoni read.

Thanking the Prime Minister for his words of appreciation, Dhoni said that nothing gives more satisfication to an artist or sportsperson than getting noticed and appreciated for their hard work.

"An Artist,Soldier and Sportsperson what they crave for is appreciation, that their hard work and sacrifice is getting noticed and appreciated by everyone.thanks PM @narendramodi for your appreciation and good wishes," the former wicketkeeper-batsman wrote along with a picture of letter from the Prime Minister.

An Artist,Soldier and Sportsperson what they crave for is appreciation, that their hard work and sacrifice is getting noticed and appreciated by everyone.thanks PM @narendramodi for your appreciation and good wishes. pic.twitter.com/T0naCT7mO7 — Mahendra Singh Dhoni (@msdhoni) August 20, 2020

Dhoni made his international debut for India during a One-Day International (ODI) match against Bangladesh in December 2004.

He notched up a total of 4,876 runs in 90 Tests, 10,773 runs in 350 ODIs and 1,617 runs in 98 matches he played for India in the shortest format of the game.

Dhoni was handed over the capataincy in 2007 during his early days of international career. He had a challenge of leading the likes of experienced players namely Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Dravid among others.

Dhoni is the most successful skipper of India as he remains the only captain to win all the major ICC trophies namely 50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy. 

Under his captaincy, Dhoni had led India in a total of 199 matches in the 50-over format, guiding the side to 110 wins and 74 defeats.The wicketkeeper-batsman had also led India in 60 Test matches and helped the team clinch 27 wins.

Besides this, Dhoni also holds a decent captaincy record in the Twenty20I format. He had guided India to 41 victories out of the 72 matches the country played under his leadership.

In 2007, Dhoni received Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest honor given for achievement in sports.He was also conferred with Padma Bhushan award--India's third-highest civilian award in India in 2018.

Dhoni, who played his last game for India during the semi-final clash of the ICC World Cup 2019 against New Zealand, is all set to lead Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The lucrative T20 tournament is slated to take place from September 19 to November 10 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).