Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a professional Indian cricketer, who was born on July 7, 1981 in Ranchi, Jharkhand. As of October 2008, he is the captain of India’s One Day International (ODI) team and Twenty20 (T20) team. Nicknamed “Mahi”, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a right-handed batsman and his bowling style is right-arm medium. Born to Mr. Pan Singh and Mrs. Devaki Devi, he has a sister, Jayanti, and a brother, Narendra. Mahendra Singh Dhoni completed his schooling from DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, Ranchi, where he initially excelled in badminton and football and was selected to play these sports at the district and club level.
Despite being a goalkeeper for his football team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni switched his interest to cricket and became a regular wicketkeeper-batsman. Mahendra Singh Dhoni made his Test debut against West Indies at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on December 2, 2005. Playing in the second Test against Sri Lanka, he made his first half-century in just 51 balls. During India’s tour of Pakistan in January 2006, Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored his first Test century in just 93 balls, a crucial century that helped India avoid follow-on, in the second Test at Faisalabad. He also scored a quick and aggressive 69 runs against West Indies, in the first Test at Antigua, and finished the series with 13 catches and 4 stumpings. As of October 2008, in his 29 Tests, he has scored 1,418 runs, including one century and nine half-centuries and has also taken 68 catches along with 14 stumpings, at an average of 33.76, and his highest score at this level is 148.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni played his first ODI match against Bangladesh at the MA Aziz Stadium, Chittagong, Bangladesh, on December 23, 2004, where his team won the match by 11 runs. Playing against Pakistan in the ODI series, in the second match at Vishakhapatnam, Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored 148 runs off only 123 balls. In the Sri Lankan bilateral ODI series during the October-November 2005 season, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, he scored match-winning unbeaten 183 runs off 145 balls. In that series, he was the top run scorer with 346 runs and was awarded the Man of the Series award for his efforts. Owing to his outstanding skills and performances on the cricketing field, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) upgraded him to B-grade contract in December 2005.
In the ODI series against Pakistan in the 2006 season, Mahendra Singh Dhoni made 72 runs, including 13 boundaries off just 46 balls and scored 77 runs off 56 balls in the following match to enable his team win the series, 4-1. For a short period, he was also in the number one position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings for Batsman on April 20, 2006. In the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored 91* against Bangladesh and was declared the Man of the Match. He performed well in the Afro-Asia Cup, in which he made 174 runs in three matches at an average of 87.00, with a blitzkrieg 138* off 97 deliveries, earning him the Man of the Match award. After his commendable performances, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was nominated as the vice-captain of the Indian ODI team for the series against South Africa in Ireland and against England in the seven match ODI series. Following the nomination, he was upgraded to grade A contract in June 2007 by BCCI. As of October 2008, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has played 120 ODIs and has scored 3,793 runs, including 4 centuries and 24 half-centuries, and has also grabbed 121 catches and did 36 stumpings, at an average of 47.41.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni made his debut in Twenty20 International (T20I) against South Africa at the New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, on December 1, 2006, where India won the match by 6 wickets. He led India to the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 trophy in South Africa, in September 2007, and won the trophy after beating Pakistan in the final. He became the second Indian captain to have won the World Cup in any form of cricket, after Kapil Dev. Mahendra Singh Dhoni made his first appearance in the First-class match during the 1999-2000 season. Until October 2008, he has played 69 matches at this level and has scored 3,570 runs, including 4 centuries and 23 half-centuries. He has also taken 176 catches and did 30 stumpings, at an average of 34.32, and his highest score at this level is 148.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni made his debut in the List A match during the 1999-2000 season, and as of the year 2008, he has played 173 matches at this level and scored 5,701 runs, including 10 centuries and 35 half-centuries. He also grabbed 187 catches and did 51 stumpings, at an average of 47.50, and his highest score at this level is 183*.
Chennai Super Kings signed Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 1.5 million USD, most expensive player in IPL, to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the 2008 inaugural season, in which he led his team into the finals against Rajasthan Royals. In his fourteen T20 matches, he has scored 295 runs with a best of 73 not out, and as a wicketkeeper he has dismissed 3 players at this level.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was awarded with the country’s highest sports honour, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratan award, for his contribution to India’s success in the T20 World Cup and the 2008 Australian series. Mahendra Singh Dhoni also won the ODI Player of the Year 2008 award at the LG ICC awards ceremony in Dubai and became the first Indian player to get this particular award, and was selected for the ICC World ODI Team of the Year 2008. He was voted as MTV Youth Icon 2006 and was the amazing icon of the Pogo TV amazing kids awards.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni draws his inspiration from Adam Gilchrist, the former wicketkeeper-batsman of Australia, and is a fan of bollywood film star, John Abraham.
