Former Indian captain MS Dhoni shares a special bond with Kolkata. He played junior cricket in the city of joy and scored his maiden Ranji Trophy hundred in the same city for Bihar in 2001.

Apart from cricket, it was also Kolkata where Dhoni met his wife Sakshi. And thanks to his stint with the Railways at Kharagpur, the 35-year-old has many friends in Kolkata.

So, when the right-hander got an opportunity to reconnect with, not only his old friends but also his favourite city, he made the most of it.

© Twitter

Playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Dhoni got a chance to relive his memories as Jharkhand locked horns with Chhattisgarh at the Eden Gardens. The explosive batsman was at his prolific best as he hammered a thrilling 107-ball 129, guiding his side to victory.

His friends from the Railways days were in full attendance at the stadium. And leading the pack was Satya Prakash Sinha, who witnessed Dhoni's rise from a player living on a meagre Coalfields stipend to a Railways player and then finally India.

© Twitter

Thomas, a tea-stall owner at Kharagpur railway station, was also overwhelmed when Dhoni recognised him and spoke to him after the innings. During his days as ticket collector, Dhoni would always drop in to his tall twice or thrice a day to have tea and some hot milk.

© Twitter

After getting a hug from Dhoni, Thomas was speechless with his warm gesture. “When Dhoni bhai was in Kharagpur, he used to visit my shop two or three times a day to have tea. Many times, I served him hot milk in that period. After today’s incident, I will go back to Kharagpur and name my shop ‘Dhoni Tea Stall’,” he said.

© Twitter

The former Indian captain could have spent more time with his friends at the Eden Gardens, but amid security concerns, he was forced to shift his reunion to the team hotel where he had a grand dinner with them.

© Twitter

After retiring from Tests and renouncing his Team India captaincy, Dhoni could have done anything in the world but 'Captain Cool' decided to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

A post shared by @mahi7781 on Feb 21, 2017 at 6:08pm PST

Dhoni, however, seems to be enjoying his time away from limelight being the old Mahi again - travelling by train, staying in less expensive hotels, meeting old friends and sharing dinner with them.