Having first given his talent a nod of approval, former India captain Sourav Ganguly talked about the "unbelievable" Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the great wicketkeeper batsman's 39th birthday this Tuesday (July 7). 

Dhoni made his India debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh under Ganguly's captaincy. Ganguly, who is now the BCCI president, said he felt it was his responsibility to ensure the right individuals get to wear the Indian jersey and Dhoni was certainly one of them.

Read Also: Team India members wish MS Dhoni a hearty birthday as he turns 39

"It's true, but that's my job isn't it... it's the captain's job to pick and make the best possible team," Ganguly told contemporary Test opener, Mayank Agarwal, on #DadaOpensWithMayank for the BCCI. "You go by your instincts, faith on that player that he will deliver for you."

"I'm happy that Indian cricket got a Mahendra Singh Dhoni, because he is unbelievable." ​

Initially, Dhoni didn't find success despite carrying the reputation of a big-hitter. It all changed when Ganguly asked Dhoni to bat at No.3 in an ODI against Pakistan, as he smashed the visiting attack for a career-changing knock of 148 runs. 

"He's one of the great players in world cricket, not just finisher. Everyone talks about the way he finishes lower down the order," said Ganguly. 

"He batted at No. 3 when I was captain and he got a 148 against Pakistan in Vizag in the old stadium and it was fantastic. I always believed that he should bat up the order because he was so destructive."

"The best players in the shorter format had the ability to hit boundaries at will. You look over a period of time in the history of ODI cricket, the best players can find the fence under pressure consistently and MS Dhoni was one of the best. That's why he was special," he added. 

Now hailed as one of the greatest-ever limited-overs batsmen in the history of the game, Dhoni also went on to successfully captain India across all formats. 

He led the side to victory in three major ICC events - the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 50-over World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy - apart from overseeing India's surge to No.1 in ICC Test rankings in 2009.