NEW DELHI: Social media is currently swamped with T20 World Cup celebrations and praise for Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Man of the Match in the final, Virat Kohli. Netizens also celebrated the birthday of former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on July 7. However, a few media posts claim that MS Dhoni might have used PR to overshadow the posts of Virat and Kohli.
Recently, a meme featuring the former Indian cricket captain surfaced with the caption, “Seems like you all don’t miss me anymore” (accompanied by an image of Dhoni). Under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, also known as ‘Captain Cool’, India won all three ICC white-ball trophies: the T20 World Cup in 2007, the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011, and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.
In an Instagram post, Dhoni wrote that the World Cup was a priceless gift from Team India. “WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS 2024. My heart rate was up, well done on being calm, having self-belief and doing what you guys did. From all the Indians back home and everywhere in the world, a big thank you for bringing the World Cup home. CONGRATULATIONS. Arreeee, thanks for the priceless birthday gift.” he wrote.
MS Dhoni celebrated his 43rd birthday with his wife and friends, including Bollywood actor Salman Khan. Khan also shared a post on X, (formerly known as Twitter), in which he is seen standing alongside Dhoni as the cricketer cuts the cake. Wife Sakshi shared a video on Instagram in which she is playfully seen touching Dhoni’s feet.
However, users claim that these posts by others might be PR posts attempting to dominate social media, given that both Rohit and Virat, who announced their retirement from T20 cricket format after winning the World Cup on June 29, are shining on digital platforms. A Reddit user also shared data and wrote, “Rohit Sharma has surpassed MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli in becoming the most successful captain for India in international cricket history.”