Hyderabad: Applauding Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his cricketing laurels through a letter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the "correct" way to assess the impact of "one of the most successful captains" is as a "phenomenon".
In a tweet today, MS Dhoni shared the letter of appreciation sent in by the Prime Minister with a caption which read, "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."
In the letter, PM Modi recognised Dhoni's achievements and said, "You have been one of the most successful captains, instrumental in taking India to the top of the world charts. Your name will go down in history as being one of the world's batting greats among the greatest cricketing captains and certainly one of the best wicketkeepers the game has seen."
Reminiscing the 2011 World Cup final, in particular, the Prime Minister said the memories from that match will be etched in the public memory for generations. However, he added the name 'MS Dhoni' would be remembered for so much more than career statistics.
"You 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 MS Dhoni will not be remembered merely for his career statistics or specific match-winning roles. Looking at you as just a sportsperson would be an injustice. The correct way to assess your impact is as a phenomenon," he added.
As the former skipper announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15 after a 16-year-long stint, tributes started pouring in from all over the world.
Dhoni is the first captain to have won all the three major ICC trophies -- ODI World Cup, World T20 Cup and Champions Trophy.