MS Dhoni 42nd birthday: Dhoni-Mania grips CSK captain's fans, 77 feet cut-out put up in Andhra

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MS Dhoni fans can't stay calm at the moment and they are doing everything possible to make his 42nd birthday a memorable one. The talismanic captain who led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fifth IPL trophy recently, turned 42 on Friday, July 7.

Fans in Nandigama in Andhra Pradesh have erected a 72 feet cut-out of the Ranchi-born cricketer. The cut-out is said to be the biggest ever for a cricketer.

MS Dhoni fans in Hyderabad are also not far behind. They have installed a 52 feet cut-out of the two-time World Cup-winning captain at the RTC X Roads in the city.

Dhoni, who retired from international cricket in August 2020, continues to be the most loved cricketer in the country. Despite not being an active social media user, there is no slowdown in the popularity of the revered cricketer.

The IPL 2023 season saw all the stadiums turn into a sea of yellow to support Dhoni's CSK. Away venues also got turned into home venues because of the love people showered on Dhoni.

Not only the fans, IPL players from the opposition camp also lined up to get pictures, autographs and words of wisdom from the legendary cricketer who is determined to play one more season of the IPL for his fans.

“I will just say thanks for the support, they came in big numbers. Most of these guys will come in a KKR jersey next time. They are trying to give me a farewell, so thanks a lot to the crowd," Dhoni said after the match at Eden Gardens.

“I have played a lot of cricket over here. I had a job at Kharagpur which was two hours from here. The love comes from there,” Dhoni said at the toss.

After winning the IPL 2023 trophy, Dhoni vowed to turn up for one more season for his fans.

"Looking for an answer? Circumstantially if you see, this is the best time to announce my retirement. But the amount of love and affection I have been shown wherever I have been this year, the easy thing would be for me to say "Thank you very much", but the tough thing for me is to work hard for another 9 months and come back and play at least 1 more season of IPL.

"A lot depends on the body, I have 6-7 months to decide. It will be more like a gift from my side, it's not easy for me but that's a gift. The way they've shown their love and affection, I think that's something I need to do for them," he told Harsha Bhogle.

Quite clearly the cut-outs - the biggest for any cricketer - have come out of love and respect and it's totally mutual between Dhoni and his fans.