MS Dhoni was awarded the Padma Bhushan Award at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi by the President Ram Nath Kovind. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)
Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was honoured with the prestigious Padma Bhushan Award at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind. Dhoni, who holds the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel of Indian Army accepted the award in his army uniform. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the 36-year old went to say that accepting the honour in the uniform increased the excitement 10 times.
“An honour to get the Padma Bhushan and receiving it in Uniform increases the excitement ten folds,” he said. The wicketkeeper-batsman further went on to express his gratitude to men and women in uniform for their sacrifices. “Thanks to all the Men and Women in Uniform and their families for the Sacrifices they make so that all of us could enjoy our Constitutional Rights.Jai Hind,” he wrote in the Instagram post.
PHOTOS | MS Dhoni honoured with Padma Bhushan Award by President Ram Nath Kovin
Dhoni also shared a few photographs including a cute image of his daughter Ziva in his lap, wearing his army cap.
Coincidentally, Dhoni, who will lead Chennai Super Kings as the captain in the upcoming season of Indian Premier League, received the honour from President Ram Nath Kovind on the same day when he guided India to its second ICC World Cup triumph seven years ago. The 36-year old is regarded as the most successful Indian captain as he is the only skipper to win all the ICC trophies- ICC Cricket World Cup, World Twenty20 and the Champions Trophy.
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He is overall the 11th Indian cricketer to receive the Padma Bhushan award after CK Nayudu (1956), MK Vizianagaram (1958), Vinoo Mankad (1973), Sunil Gavaskar (1980), Bhalindra Singh (1983) Prof DB Deodhar, Lala Amarnath, Kapil Dev (1991), Chandu Borde (2002) and Rahul Dravid (2013). He was earlier awarded the Padma Shri award back in 2009.