Stand tall Bharat: Dhoni to Warner, wishes pour in on I-Day

MUMBAI: India's most successful cricket skipper Dhoni, who is not known to be too active on social media, started it all when he changed his 'Instagram DP' (display picture) for the first time in two years with a Tricolour and a thought-evoking caption in Sanskrit. ''Dhanya Asmi Bharatven,'' wrote Dhoni, who is the only Indian captain to have won all three major ICC trophies, captioned, with its Hindi and English translation: ''I am blessed to be a Bharatiya.'' Batting stalwart Virat Kohli also followed suit as he also changed his Twitter DP to a Tricolour and posted: ''75 glorious years. Proud to be an Indian. Happy Independence Day to all. Jai Hind.'' India is celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to mark 75 years of Independence after the end of British rule spanning two centuries. In his inimitable style, former India opener Virender Sehwag quoted the popular song from bollywood film 'Karma' -- 'Aye Watan Tere Liye'.

''Na poochho zamaane ko ke kya meri kahaani hai, hamaare pahchaan to bas itni hai ki hum Hindustani hai (Don't ask what is my story for the time being, our identity is only that we are Hindustani),'' he wrote, followed by the popular lyrics of Karma.

Sehwag also posted a picture of him painting the Tricolour with a caption, ''Sare Jahan Se Acha Hindustan Hamara''. Wishes also poured in from Down Under with Australian opener David Warner, sharing his wish on social medial.

''To all our family and friends in India we wish you a Happy Independence Day. #india #love #secondhome #peace #independenceday," Warner, who has many fans in India during his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, wrote with a photo of the Tricolour.

Former English cricketer-cum-commentator Kevin Pietersen also put out an Independence Day greetings.

He wrote in Hindi: ''... Bharat garv karo aur lamba khade raho. Aap sabhi ke liye ek behtar kal ka nirmaan kar rahe hain (Be proud and stand tall Bharat. You are building a better tomorrow for all!) Other Indian sport icons, including the likes of Abhinav Bindra, PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, Sania Mirza, Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Mithali Raj, Hardik Pandya, also celebrated the Independence Day with some heartwarming messages.