Arguably the greatest wicket-keeper batsman to have ever stepped onto the cricket field, MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday (August 15, 2020). Twitterati went in frenzy after coming across the major news and paid tribute to the former Indian captain. Dhoni, who played his last international game in 2019, guided India to numerous victories across formats and his record is nothing less than staggering. In 2004, he wore the number 7 jersey for the first time and 16 years later, he’s an undisputed legend of the game. However, Dhoni’s connection to the number 7 isn’t just limited to his jersey number. MS Dhoni Announces Retirement from International Cricket, Likely to Continue Playing in IPL.

It all started from the day he was born – July 7, 1981. With the passing time, Dhoni became a massive personality in the cricket world. He received praises, faced criticism, guided his team to glory, fell short sometimes. However, his obsession for number seven remained the same. From his captaincy debut to captaincy retirement, from his jersey number to vehicle number, Dhoni's attachment with number seven is nothing but astonishing. Without further ado, let’s look at some staggering facts of Dhoni's association with number 7. MS Dhoni Retires: Runs, Dismissals & Victories; The Magical Tale of Former India Captain Between Two Heart-Breaking Run-Outs.

  1. The former Indian captain was born on July 7 which is the seventh day of the seventh month.

  2. Dhoni sported the number seven jersey in international cricket and IPL.

  3. The talismanic wicket-keeper batsman made his captaincy debut in the year 2007.

  4. Under Dhoni’s leadership, India won the inaugural edition of ICC T20 World Cup in 2007.

  5. Dhoni’s love for football isn’t hidden from anyone. Interestingly, his favourite football player in Juventus and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo who also sports the no. 7 jersey.

  6. The two-time World Cup winner announced his retirement from captaincy in the year 2017.

  7. The right-handed batsman achieved the illustrious landmark of 10,000 ODI runs at the age of 37.

Well, you may or may not believe in numerology. However, calling these facts a mere coincidence will not be easy. To add on that, Dhoni retired from the game with more than 17,000 international runs (17266).

The 39-year-old might have bid farewell to international cricket. However, he will be seen in action in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League which will get underway on September 19 in UAE. Dhoni has already guided the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to three IPL titles and will not mind adding the fourth one in his cabinet.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 16, 2020 12:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).