One of the most loved among the many Indian cricketers is Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He is one of the most successful cricketers in Indian cricket, who has won one world title in T20 format, two in 50-over ODI cricket, and two more in IPL and Champions League.
MS Dhoni is also known as Captain Cool, as no matter how tough the match or how much stress there is, he was known to always keep his cool and remain stoic, like a monk. As the birthday of Dhoni is approaching soon, let’s take a look back on his journey from an ordinary man from Jharkhand to the extraordinary cricket legend of India.
Early Life and Education
MS Dhoni was born as Mahendra Singh Dhoni in a Hindu Rajput family on July 7, 1981, in Ranchi, Jharkhand. His mother, Devki Devi, was a homemaker, and his father, Pan Singh, worked as a junior manager at MECON. Dhoni also has a brother, Narendra Singh Dhoni, and a sister, Jayanti Gupta.
Dhoni studied in DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir. As a student, he excelled at sports like football and badminton.
He was the goalkeeper of his school team. He also played as a wicketkeeper for the Commando Club. Dhoni impressed everyone with his wicket-keeping and was selected for the Vinoo Mankar Trophy U-16 Championship for 1997-1998. After completing high school, he focused only on cricket.
Career
In 1998, Deval Shah, a former Ranchi District Cricket President and Bihar Cricket Association Vice President, picked Dhoni to play for the Central Coal Fields Limited (CCL) team. This was the start of professional cricket for Dhoni. After his impressive performance for the CCL, Deval Shah pushed for his selection in the Bihar team. Dhoni played for Jharkhand and Bihar cricket teams.
Dhoni was picked up for the India A team for the tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya after being recognized for his efforts in the One Day format. During the tour, he had made 7 catches and 4 stumpings in the match. He also helped team India chase their target run against Pakistan in the tri-nation tournament. His entire performance in the series was praised by Ravi Shashtri and Sourav Ganguly, two of the big names in Indian cricket.
After the India A team, Dhoni was picked for the ODI team for the Bangladesh tour 2004-05. He had an average performance in the series, but he was selected for the ODI series against Pakistan despite that. During the second match, Dhoni scored the highest number of runs by an Indian wicketkeeper.
MS Dhoni was named vice-captain of the Indian team for ODI for the series against South Africa and England. In 2007, Dhoni was then elected as the captain of the Indian team for the World T20 matches. The same year, he shared a record with his idol Adam Gilchrist from Australia for the most dismissals in ODI innings. He also brought victory to team India in the 2011 world cup.
Dhoni also played in the Indian Premier League, where he was contracted to play for Chennai Super Kings in the first season. Under his captaincy, CSK won two IPL seasons back to back. But in 2016, Chennai Super Kings was suspended for two years, and Dhoni was then the captain of team Rising Pune Supergiants. After the suspension was lifted from CSK, Dhoni joined the team again as the captain and led his team to victory in 2018, 2021, and recently in 2023.
Retirement
In 2014, Dhoni retired from Test cricket, and in 2015, he gave up the captaincy for shorter formats of cricket. He announced to retire from all international forms of cricket decision in 2020. He played his last IPL season in 2023.
Achievements
- 2007-08 – Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna Award
- 2008 and 2009 – ICC ODI Player of the Year
- 2009 – Padma Shri
- 2011 – CNN-News18 Indian of the Year
- 2011 – Honorary Doctorate Degree by De Montfort University
- 2011 – Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year
- 2011-2020 – ICC Men’s ODI team of the decade
- 2011-2020 – ICC Men’s T20 team of the decade
- 2018 – Padma Bhushan
- 2019 – 'MS Dhoni Pavillion' name given to the South Stand in the stadium by the Jharkhand Cricket Association
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is known for being calm and cool even during the most stressful matches. He is also known for his ever-famous helicopter shot and his skills that brought India to victory many times. He is one of the most successful captains and a true inspiration for many aspiring cricketers in India. Giftalove wishes our Captain Cool a very happy and blessed birthday!
