Personal Info
India
DOB: July 07, 1981
Age: 41 years
Batting Style: Right hand bat
Bowling Style: Right arm medium
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper
Birth Place: Ranchi, Jharkhand
Height: 5 ft 11 inches
Role in Team: Wicketkeeper batter
Overview
From the moment Mahendra Singh Dhoni made his international debut until the day he retired, he was the centre of attention. Call him Captain Cool, the world’s best finisher, the master tactician, or whatever else you want to call him, MS Dhoni came, saw, and conquered Indian cricket like no one else before him, and there is a very small chance that someone will overtake his legacy in the years to come. Since 2005, Dhoni has been arguably the most popular Indian cricketer, challenging reputations, remaining loyal to processes, and never thinking too much about the end result—a trait that has made him an icon of Indian cricket and one of the sport’s global superstars.
1.1 Career Brief
MS Dhoni dared to dream of representing India one day while growing up in Ranchi, Jharkhand, a state known more for its mines than for producing high-quality cricketers. It wasn’t an easy road for Dhoni, and India was on the verge of losing its future legendary captain until he decided to give up his ticket collector job with Indian Railways to focus solely on cricket. Dhoni had a reputation for clearing boundaries against some of the best bowlers in domestic cricket before making his international debut in December 2004. After the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, with Rahul Dravid declining wicketkeeping duties, India was in need of an aggressive wicketkeeper batter, and Dhoni was more than prepared for the role.
- When did MS Dhoni make his international debut?
MS Dhoni debuted on the international stage in December 2004 against Bangladesh in Chattogram. Unfortunately, while batting at number seven, he was run out for a duck off the first ball he faced in international cricket.
Dhoni made his Test debut against Sri Lanka a year later, in December 2005, at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. MSD’s first T20I appearance was against South Africa in Johannesburg in December 2006.
Batting Career Summary
| FORMAT | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
| Test | 90 | 144 | 16 | 4876 | 224 | 38.09 | 8249 | 59.11 | 6 | 33 | 544 | 78 | 256 | 38 |
| ODI | 350 | 297 | 84 | 10773 | 183* | 50.57 | 12303 | 87.56 | 10 | 73 | 826 | 229 | 321 | 123 |
| T20I | 98 | 85 | 42 | 1617 | 56 | 37.6 | 1282 | 126.13 | 0 | 2 | 116 | 52 | 57 | 34 |
| FC | 131 | 210 | 19 | 7038 | 224 | 36.84 | – | – | 9 | 47 | – | – | 364 | 57 |
| List A | 423 | 364 | 99 | 13353 | 183* | 50.38 | – | – | 17 | 87 | – | – | 402 | 141 |
| T20 | 376 | 330 | 139 | 7271 | 84* | 38.06 | 5405 | 134.52 | 0 | 28 | 503 | 325 | 213 | 86 |
Bowling Career Summary
| FORMAT | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w |
| Test | 90 | 7 | 96 | 67 | 0 | – | – | – | 4.18 | – | 0 | 0 |
| ODI | 350 | 2 | 36 | 31 | 1 | 1/14 | 1/14 | 31 | 5.16 | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| T20I | 98 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| FC | 131 | – | 126 | 87 | 0 | – | – | – | 4.14 | – | 0 | 0 |
| List A | 423 | – | 63 | 53 | 2 | 1/14 | 1/14 | 26.5 | 5.04 | 31.5 | 0 | 0 |
| T20 | 376 | 1 | 12 | 25 | 0 | – | – | – | 12.5 | – | 0 | 0 |
Within the first year of international cricket, other than his long silky locks, Dhoni made waves for the brute strength he possessed and the ability to hit gigantic sixes at will. MS Dhoni cemented his spot in the national ODI team with knocks of 148 against Pakistan in Vizag, and 183 against Sri Lanka in Jaipur. From there on, it was no looking back for Rambo from Ranchi. Though, Dhoni tasted success at the top of the order, his biggest challenge came when the team expected him to don the role of a finisher in white-ball cricket.
- MS Dhoni’s evolution as a world class finisher
It was under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy in 2006, when MS Dhoni was given the role of a finisher for Team India in ODIs. Dhoni slammed three half-centuries against Pakistan and caught the world’s attention with his humongous hitting, dazzling stroke play and match-finishing prowess. Apart from a few instances where Dhoni did bat up the order, he performed the role much to the requirement of the team between 2006 and 2019.
- Elevation to captaincy & 2007 T20 World Cup triumph
After Rahul Dravid decided to give up India’s captaincy at the end of England series in the middle of 2007, the selectors decided to take a chance with MS Dhoni as they appointed him the T20I Captain for the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa. With the heavyweights choosing to sit out of the tournament, the selectors gave the captaincy to MS Dhoni, who led the ‘Youngistaan’ to the T20 World Cup triumph, beating arch-rivals Pakistan by 5 runs in the final.
- 2008-2011: Captain MS Dhoni’’s glorious run
After winning the T20 World Cup title in 2007, MS Dhoni was quickly elevated to the post of ODI captain, and a year later as full-time Test Captain post Anil Kumble’s retirement. In 2008, Dhoni led a young Team India to a tri-nation Commonwealth Bank series win in Australia involving hosts Australia and Asian neighbours Sri Lanka. A year later, after registering a clean sweep over Sri Lanka at home in 2009, India became the number 1 Test side in the world under his leadership.
- 2011 World Cup win at home
The highlight of MS Dhoni’s cricket career transpired during the 2011 World Cup in India. India won the tournament after playing some hard-fought cricket throughout. MS Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 91 in the final against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on April 2, 2011, to lead India to its first World Cup victory in 28 years. MS Dhoni, fittingly, finished the match as India won by six wickets.
- Decline in Test cricket
India under MS Dhoni was scaling new heights in ODIs, but with an aging side, the team’s performance was going downhill in Test cricket. After losing 4-0 to England in England in 2011 and later getting humiliated with the same scoreline in Australia in 2012. The boiling point came when India lost 2-1 at home to touring England under Alastair Cook’s captaincy, their first defeat at home in eight years.
- 2013 Champions Trophy victory in England
Post the 2011 World Cup, MS Dhoni’s biggest success moment came at the 2013 Champions Trophy in England. In the final against the hosts, India clinched a nerve rattling 5 run win at Edgbaston, Birmingham. With the win, MS Dhoni became the only skipper to bag all three ICC titles.
Beginning of the end
MS Dhoni had already decided to retire from Test cricket by the time India arrived in Australia to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2014. His announcement came in typical MS fashion, after India was drawn for the Melbourne Test in December, and it also brought to an end a fantastic Test career for India that lasted 90 Tests between 2005 and 2014.
- 2015 ODI World Cup & 2016 T20 World Cup – The semifinal Exits
MS Dhoni led Team India to victories in the 2015 ODI World Cup in Australia and the 2016 T20 World Cup in India. The Men in Blue advanced to the semifinals of both global ICC events, but were defeated in the quarterfinals. Australia defeated India by 95 runs at the SCG, ending MS Dhoni’s led Blues’ World Cup run.
West Indies defeated India by 7 wickets in the semifinals of the 2016 T20 World Cup at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. The defeat to the Calypso Kings marked Dhoni’s final appearance as India’s captain at an ICC event.
Handing over the captaincy to Virat Kohli
MS Dhoni officially brought an end to his nine-year long captaincy stint with Team India in January 2017, when he stepped down as captain across formats and handed the baton to his deputy, Virat Kohli. MS Dhoni led India in 60 Tests, 200 ODIs, and 72 T20Is in a captaincy stint that lasted from 2007 to 2016.
- Record as Test Captain
|
Matches |
Won |
Lost |
Tie/NR |
Win% |
|
60 |
27 |
18 |
00/15 |
45 |
- Record as ODI Captain
|
Matches |
Won |
Lost |
Tie/NR |
Win% |
|
200 |
110 |
74 |
5/11 |
55 |
- Record as T20I Captain
|
Matches |
Won |
Lost |
Tie/NR |
Win% |
|
72 |
41 |
28 |
1/2 |
56.90 |
Disappointment at the 2017 Champions Trophy
After resuming his duties as a wicketkeeper batsman for Team India, MS Dhoni started off well with a hundred against England at home in January 2017. Under Virat Kohli’s leadership, India made it to the 2017 Champions Trophy Final but lost to archrivals Pakistan in the final at the Oval in London. Dhoni’s form with the gloves was spot on, but his form with the bat declined drastically, as he could amass only 67 runs from two matches in the tournament. For the course of the next two years, MS Dhoni’s form with the bat remained a matter of intense debate for cricket pundits and critics.
Heartbreak at the 2019 ODI World Cup
The final chapter in MS Dhoni’s illustrious career was written at the 2019 ODI World Cup in England. At the tail end of his career, Dhoni’s prowess as a powerful striker of the cricket ball took a serious beating. However, he did manage 273 runs from nine matches at an average of over 45 and a strike rate in excess of 87. As a keeper, he was sharp as ever, inflicting three stumpings and taking seven catches.
India made it to the semifinals of the 2019 ODI World Cup, this time facing New Zealand in the semifinals in Manchester. Call it luck or fate, but India needed a classic finish from its all-time legendary finisher with India needing 31 in the last 12 balls. Dhoni tried his best, but a bullet throw from Martin Guptill from the square leg position ended the great man’s career with 50 against his name. India lost the game by 18 runs. Dhoni walked back to the pavilion for one final time with the Indian jersey on.
Retirement from cricket – The official announcement
On July 9, 2019, MS Dhoni played his final match for India in Manchester. He chose not to play any cricket for over a year, fueling speculation about his retirement from international cricket.
He played for Chennai Super Kings in April 2020, giving his millions of fans hope that he would play in the T20 World Cup later that year. However, with the COVID-19 outbreak halting cricket and cancelling the ICC event, Dhoni decided to retire.
MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket in a cryptic message on his Instagram account on August 15, 2020.
Outstanding Record as a wicket-keeper
Though MS Dhoni is more remembered for his captaincy and finisher, his role as an effortless wicketkeeper at times hasn’t got the credit it deserves. He was arguably the fastest wicket-keeper to inflict stumpings to spinners, and acted as a perfect mentor to Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav early on in their careers.
Dhoni is third on the list when it comes to most dismissals – 829 dismissals from 538 matches, by a wicketkeeper across formats. Only Mark Boucher from South Africa and Adam Gilchrist from Australia are ahead of the Indian wicketkeeper.
The Technique
Nothing about MS Dhoni was conventional, whether it was his wicketkeeping or batting style. He had a knack for doing things in unusual ways, whether it was taking a catch, stumping someone, or hitting sixes out of the park.
He introduced the cricketing world to the Helicopter Shot very early in his cricket career. He learned the stroke from his senior in Ranchi, and implemented it to perfection at the international level. Dhoni had a see-ball, hit-ball batting philosophy early in his career, and with strong wrists and immense brute strength, the Jharkhandi took the world by storm, despite not being the most technically gifted batter in India.
Dhoni had a strong bottom-hand technique that allowed him to generate tremendous bat speed, and when combined with strength, he was able to hit the ball out of the park, especially when he chose to play the finisher.
Technical Shortcoming
MS Dhoni wasn’t the most technically gifted batter in Indian cricket. Infact, his biggest strength was his power striking. In the Asian subcontinent, Dhoni enjoyed success across formats. However, in challenging conditions like England, Australia, South Africa and West Indies, Dhoni wasn’t able to muster even a single Test ton. Dhoni wasn’t able to score big runs in Tests overseas, thanks to his limited defensive techniques and constant top-order downfall. Though he did well as a batter in Test cricket, Dhoni will be remembered for his exploits in white-ball cricket for India.
IPL over the years – Chennai Super Kings connect
If playing for India gave MS Dhoni the identity he was looking for, featuring for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, made him a household name in the southern part of India. He is named Thala, which means big brother in Chennai, and the cricketer enjoys a fan following that can rival top movie stars and politicians in Tamil Nadu.
Over the years, apart from forging a special relationship with the people of Chennai, Dhoni also became the second most successful captain in IPL history for CSK. He led the franchise to four IPL titles – 2009, 2010, 2018 and 2021.
Player Net worth
MS Dhoni’s net worth is Rs 1030 Crore, thus making him the second richest Indian cricket player after Virat Kohli. His annual salary is in excess of Rs 50 Crore, that breaks down to Rs 4 Crore salary per month.
A major portion of MS Dhoni’s salary comes from IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. He is the captain and the CEO of the side, and takes home Rs 12 Crore plus perks every year. Dhoni has over 25 brands under his kitty spread across the industry. Some of top endorsements are Unacademy, Star Sports, Cars24, Dream11, India Cements and more.
It is reported that Dhoni charges Rs 3.5-6 Crore per endorsement deal and post retirement his brand value has increased by 32 percent.
Records/Achievement
- Padma Bhushan awardee: 2018
- Padma Shri awardee: 2009
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: 2007
- ICC ODI Player of the Year: 2008, 2009
- ICC ODI World XI: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014
- ICC ODI World XI Captain: 2009, 2011-14
- ICC Men’s ODI Team of the decade: 2011-2020
- ICC Men’s T20I Team of the decade: 2011-2020
- ICC Spirit of the Cricket Award of the decade: 2011-2020
- Honorary rank – Lieutenant Colonel in Indian Territorial Army in 2011
- JSCA Stadium – South Stand in Ranchi named after MS Dhoni
- Biopic on MS Dhoni: The Untold Story with Sushant Singh in the lead
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MS Dhoni Photos
FAQs on MS Dhoni
What is the net worth of MS Dhoni?
MS Dhoni’s total net worth is around $125 Million.
What is the real age of MS Dhoni?
Currently, MS Dhoni is 41 years old (7 July 1981).
What is the salary of MS Dhoni?
MS Dhoni earns an estimated salary of Rs 50 crore Per Year.
What is the height of MS Dhoni?
The height of MS Dhoni is 5′ 11″.
What is MS Dhoni’s daughter’s name?
MS Dhoni and Sakshi Dhoni’s daughter’s name is Ziva. She was born on February 06, 2015.
