Overwhelmed by the Prime Minister’s unprecedented gesture, Dhoni posted the image of the letter he received from PM Modi, tweeting “An Artist, soldier and sportsperson: what they crave for is appreciation, that their hard work and sacrifice is getting noticed and appreciated by everyone.”

Seldom a Prime Minister in recent memory has written such a glowing letter to a retiring sportsperson as Modi heaped praise on Dhoni who led the country to three limited-overs ICC tournament triumphs.

Modi congratulated Dhoni for a terrific and trophy-laden career while thanking him for his incredible contribution to the country.

He recalled some of the most iconic moments of Dhoni’s career, especially the 2011 World Cup final and 2007 World T20 while lauding him for inspiring many to work towards their dreams.

Finally, PM Modi wished Dhoni the very best his future endeavours. The Ranchi based cricketer Dhoni is the only captain to have won all the ICC trophies on offer and also the mace for making India No 1 Test team in the world.

The 39-year-old, who had quit test cricket in 2014 retired from international cricket on Independence Day with a post on Instagram, more than a year after he last played for India – the lost World Cup semifinal against New Zealand.

He will lead Chennai Super Kings when the Indian Premier League season starts in the UAE on September 19.