Mahendra Singh Dhoni, often referred to as “Captain Cool” or MS Dhoni, is a renowned figure in the cricket world, honored for his outstanding batting prowess, leadership qualities, and unmatched achievements in Indian cricket. Dhoni, who was born in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India, on July 7, 1981, came from modest origins to become one of the most recognizable characters in sports history.
Growing up in Ranchi, Dhoni became quite interested in cricket at an early age. He persevered and was determined to follow his love of the sport despite financial difficulties. Before turning his entire attention to cricket, Dhoni started as a goalie for a local football club.
As soon as Dhoni’s skill was apparent, the Bihar Under-19 squad selected him for their 1998–1999 campaign. State and national selectors took notice of him when he demonstrated his batting ability and wicket-keeping abilities. When the Indian cricket team played Bangladesh in a One Day International (ODI) match in 2004, Dhoni made his debut.
A powerful wicketkeeper-batsman, MS Dhoni gained notoriety early on for his rapid stumpings behind the wickets and explosive batting style. He became well-known for maintaining his cool under duress and went by the moniker “Captain Cool” because of this.
MS Dhoni Biography
| Name | MS Dhoni |
| Full Name | Mahendra Singh Pansingh Dhoni |
| Date of Birth | 7 July 1981 |
| Place of Birth | Ranchi |
| Other Names | Ms, Mahi, Msd, Thala |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Father’s Name | Pan Singh Dhoni |
| Mother’s Name | Devaki Devi |
| Siblings | Narendra Singh Dhoni, Jayanti Gupta |
| Spouse | Sakshi Dhoni |
| Marriage Date | 4 July 2010 |
| Children | Ziva Singh Dhoni |
| Role | Batting |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm medium |
| ODI Debut | 23 December 2004 vs Bangladesh |
| Test Debut | December 2, 2005 vs Sri Lanka |
| Favourite Food | Butter Chicken, Kheer |
| Favourite Actor | Suriya |
| Favourite Actress | Deepika Padukone |
| Favourite Colour | Green |
| Retirement | August 15, 2020 |
When Dhoni was named captain of the Indian cricket team for the first-ever ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, it was his defining moment. India won the championship under his direction after an unlikely triumph against Pakistan in an exciting final. Dhoni became a man’s leader because of his brilliant leadership and game-winning exploits, which won him a lot of praise.
Dhoni captained the Indian ODI squad in 2008, and he helped the country win the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. Cricket fans across the globe will always remember his famous six that ended the match against Sri Lanka in the final at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. With his leadership and tactical savvy, Dhoni was instrumental in helping India win the World Cup after a 28-year drought.
In 2009, under Dhoni’s leadership, India made history by topping the ICC Test rankings for the first time. India won many historic series triumphs, including ones in Australia and New Zealand, when he was captain. In his storied career, MS Dhoni broke records and established new standards in the world of international cricket.
In addition to being one of India’s most successful cricket leaders, he owns the record for the most international stumpings of any wicketkeeper. After an amazing career spanning more than 16 years, Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket in August 2020. His departure signaled the end of an era and created a difficult-to-fill vacuum in Indian cricket.
Apart from his cricket career, Dhoni is renowned for his business and charitable endeavors. He has made investments in several economic endeavors and actively supports humanitarian organizations, especially those that are close to his Ranchi homeland. The influence of MS Dhoni on Indian cricket goes beyond accolades and numbers. His humility, fortitude, and constant commitment to the game inspired millions of aspiring cricket players.
Batting & Fielding Stats
| YEAR | MAT | NO | RUNS | HS | AVG | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4S | 6S | CT | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 251 | 87 | 5082 | 84* | 38.79 | 3739 | 135.92 | 0 | 24 | 349 | 239 | 144 | 42 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 16 | 8 | 104 | 32* | 26.00 | 57 | 182.46 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 3 |
| 2022 | 14 | 6 | 232 | 50* | 33.14 | 188 | 123.40 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 10 | 9 | 0 |
| 2021 | 16 | 4 | 114 | 18* | 16.28 | 107 | 106.54 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 13 | 0 |
| 2020 | 14 | 4 | 200 | 47* | 25.00 | 172 | 116.27 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 1 |
| 2019 | 15 | 7 | 416 | 84* | 83.20 | 309 | 134.62 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 23 | 11 | 5 |
| 2018 | 16 | 9 | 455 | 79* | 75.83 | 302 | 150.66 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 30 | 11 | 3 |
| 2017 | 16 | 4 | 290 | 61* | 26.36 | 250 | 116.00 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 10 | 3 |
| 2016 | 14 | 5 | 284 | 64* | 40.57 | 210 | 135.23 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 14 | 8 | 4 |
| 2015 | 17 | 5 | 372 | 53 | 31.00 | 305 | 121.96 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 17 | 8 | 3 |
| 2014 | 16 | 10 | 371 | 57* | 74.20 | 250 | 148.40 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 20 | 3 | 1 |
| 2013 | 18 | 5 | 461 | 67* | 41.90 | 283 | 162.89 | 0 | 4 | 32 | 25 | 15 | 2 |
| 2012 | 19 | 5 | 358 | 51* | 29.83 | 278 | 128.77 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 9 | 12 | 2 |
| 2011 | 16 | 4 | 392 | 70* | 43.55 | 247 | 158.70 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 23 | 5 | 5 |
| 2010 | 13 | 2 | 287 | 66* | 31.88 | 210 | 136.66 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| 2009 | 14 | 5 | 332 | 58* | 41.50 | 261 | 127.20 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 9 | 4 | 4 |
| 2008 | 16 | 4 | 414 | 65 | 41.40 | 310 | 133.54 | 0 | 2 | 38 | 15 | 6 | 0 |
Bowling
| YEAR | MAT | BALLS | RUNS | WKTS | BBM | AVE | ECON | SR | 4W | 5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 251 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
Following the home series against South Africa in November 2005, Dhoni established himself as a mainstay in the Indian lineup. The BCCI gave Dhoni a “B” grade contract in December 2005. During Sri Lanka’s tour of India, Dhoni made his debut in a test match the same month in Chennai. In a rain-shortened first game that resulted in a tie, Dhoni scored 30 runs. In the second test, Dhoni scored his first-ever half-century, which helped India win.
In the tour that followed, Dhoni participated in every game against Pakistan, amassing 219 runs in five One-Day Internationals and 179 runs in five Test matches, including his first-ever century in a Test at the second Test venue in Abu Dhabi. In the home series against England in March 2006, he scored 106 runs in three tests, and in the five ODI series that after, he scored 177 runs. Dhoni’s wicket-keeping has come under fire as he failed to hold onto many catches and squandered opportunities to remove Andrew Flintoff, including one crucial stumping attempt.
During India’s co-hosting of the 2011 Cricket World Cup, Dhoni captained the Indian team. After beating Sri Lanka in the championship match, India won its second-ever ODI World Cup. Dhoni was chosen man of the match for his flawless 91 runs scored. For the first time in five years, Pakistan visited India for a bilateral series in December 2012, and Dhoni scored more than any other player in all three games, including a century in the first One-Day International in Chennai.
As the captain of India in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, Dhoni made history by becoming the first and only player in international cricket history to win every ICC limited-overs trophy. Despite Dhoni being out for a duck, India prevailed by five runs using the DLS system in the rain-shortened last match versus England. Additionally, the ICC named him captain and wicketkeeper of the “Team of the Tournament.”
