Ranchi celebrates Dhoni's birthday

RANCHI: Fans of batting sensation Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday greeted their heartthrob on his 25th birthday by writing down messages on a huge hoarding that displayed his different cricketing styles.

"Ho runo ka bouchhar, lage catch ka ambaar, mahi tum jeo hazar saal (let runs rain from your blade, take catches aplenty and live for thousand years)," ran the slogan on the hoarding as fans queued up to record their paeans.

Father Paan Singh cut a ball-and-bat-shaped cake to celebrate his star son's birthday at a simple ceremony organised by Uttarakhand Bhatru Sangh.

Sweets were also distributed as the city awaited the return of its hero who was a part of the team that won the four-Test series against West Indies in the Caribbean 1-0 on Sunday.

Dhoni left for London after the conclusion of the series to play a charity match, also involving Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.