MS Dhoni's birthday: 5 hairstyles that 'Captain Cool' rocked over the years 

MS Dhoni has enthralled millions of fans with his astute leadership and destructive stroke play throughout his career. A young boy from Ranchi stamped his authority on world cricket with some memorable innings over the course of a decade-long career.

After making his debut against Bangladesh in 2005, the former skipper of the Indian side emerged as a role model for young kids aspiring to take up the sport. Over his 15-year international career, MS Dhoni has been a style icon and has often opted for various hairstyles.

Today, as he turns a year older, we take a look at five of his iconic hairstyles that have taken the world of cricket by storm.

#1 Long hair

MS Dhoni celebrates after winning the World T20 title.

The inaugural edition of the World T20 in South Africa witnessed glimpses of MS Dhoni's emergence as a leader.

Assigned the responsibility of leading the young Indian side in the shortest format of the game, Dhoni etched his name in the record books by becoming the first skipper to lead the team to a world title in the T20 format.

While his hard-hitting abilities and his lightning fast wicket keeping were making the noise for the right reasons, his long hair look had many admirers, including former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

#2 Summer cut

MS Dhoni in action against England.

After a successful World T20 campaign, Dhoni opted for a summer look. While long hair was synonymous with MS Dhoni, he surprised everybody by sporting a summer cut after his exploits in South Africa.

The skipper opted for a look with hair on the nape and the middle portion of the head. After trimming the majority of his hair to the side, Dhoni sported this look to counter the summer heat in 2008.

#3 Bald look

MS Dhoni after winning the 2011 World Cup.

After a match-defining knock of an unbeaten 91 runs in the summit clash of the World Cup in 2011 against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium, Captain cool sported a nearly bald look the next day.

In a press conference involving the winning skipper, Dhoni surprised fans with his new look and even attended the photoshoot with the trophies and medals.

#4 Viking cut

In the 2013 edition of the Champions League, MS Dhoni stunned fans of world cricket with a Mohawk hairstyle. Leading the Chennai Super Kings, he took to the field sporting this fancy hairstyle, a look that was appreciated by people.

The cricket frenzy fans and commentators were clearly stunned by this bold style. With minimal hair on the side, this style involves the volume of hair on the crown and the nape. The hairstyle gained massive popularity, with plenty of footballers sporting a similar look around that time.

While he opted for a similar look in the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League, his hairstylist, Sapna Bhavnani, was quick to clarify that it was called Viking.

It’s not a Mohawk. It’s called the Viking! And like one, he will lead. #dhoni @msdhoni #WhistlePodu #roar @madOwothair pic.twitter.com/wgNsqJdkaP

— 𝕓𝕦𝕞𝕓𝕒𝕚 𝕜𝕚 𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕚 (@sapnabhavnani) April 21, 2018

#5 Salt and Pepper

England & India Net Sessions

In 2018, Dhoni took the world of cricket by surprise after sporting a salt and pepper look. This style involves a mixture of black and white hair intermingled, creating a fresh and sleek look.

The skipper opted for this look at the end of his career and pulled it off efficiently, much to the surprise of the fans.

While there was talk of him getting old after his new look, Dhoni silenced his critics with consistent performances at the international arena.

Despite the growing age, he is still one of the fittest players in world cricket with immense power and quick reflexes.