A young boy from Jharkhand debuting his cricket career against Bangladesh and getting run-out for a duck in his first match. Who would have thought that this timid boy will one day become the greatest captain in the Indian cricket history? But Mahendra Singh Dhoni aka Mahi is now ruling the hearts of millions of cricket lovers globally.
Popularly known as ‘Thala’ among his fans, Dhoni turns 39 today with his birthday on July 7. Congratulations are pouring in from all social media platforms to Dhoni for his birthday. And why shouldn’t they? After all, Dhoni is the most loved cricketer in India. For his fans, he is not just a sportsperson, but their idol. His performance made many fall in love with the game. Even those who did not watch cricket, used to turn on their TV sets when it was Mahi playing for the Indian Cricket Team.
Dhoni redefined the way cricket is played in the country. When he came on the pitch, it was no longer just a game. It was an emotional journey. His fans used to get completely invested in his performance. When Dhoni takes the bat in his hand, it’s a reassurance for cricket lovers that the game is going to be mind-blowing. He is one of the key contributors in making cricket a religion in India.
Dhoni’s sports journey started with playing football and badminton for his school team. While playing as a goalkeeper for a football game, he was spotted by Keshab Ranjan Banerjee, a senior sports teacher at his school who decided to test his skills in cricket as a wicketkeeper. He played exceptionally well and made his place in the local cricket club. He was regarded as a ‘match-winning player’ by his team. In his inter-school tournament, he made a double century that attracted the selector’s eye. Dhoni made his official Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar in 1999-2000 as eighteen years wiser. In 2001, he moved to Kharagpur West where he played for a divisional railway team. During that time, he was also working as a traveling ticket examiner (TTE) for the South-Eastern Railways. But his day job was interfering with his passion for playing cricket. So he resigned from his job in 2003 and started playing cricket full-time.
In the same year, he got selected in India A team to play against Pakistan in a tri-series. He scored 362 runs with back to back centuries in the game. His exemplary performances in domestic and international tours won him a place in the ODI squad. He debuted his official Indian cricket journey with a Test match against Bangladesh. He got run out with zero scores in the match. Later, he was selected for an ODI series against Pakistan. In that series, Dhoni broke the earlier record for the highest run by an Indian wicket-keeper with his astonishing 148 runs innings. And the rest is history!
Dhoni is the only captain to win all ICC Trophies.
The only Non-Australian captain to win 100 ODI games.
Only Indian wicket-keeper/batsman to make 4000 test runs.
Only lower middle-order batsman to make 10K ODI runs.
The only cricketer to score 2 ODI hundred when batting at No. 7.
The list of Dhoni’s achievements is endless. He took Indian Cricket to the top with his outstanding achievements. His helicopter shot is famous worldwide. His calm attitude under pressure earned him the title of ‘Captain Cool.’ Dhoni has many awards and recognitions associated with his name that includes National honors like:
Padma Bhushan: India’s third highest civilian award in 2018
Padma Shri: India’s fourth highest civilian award in 2009.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna: India’s highest honor for achievements in sports in 2007-08
Apart from all these, he has also received many other sporting honors multiple times that include:
ICC ODI Player of the year
ICC World ODI XI
ICC World Test XI
Castrol Indian Cricketer of the year
MTV Youth Icon of the year
LG People's Choice Award
Honorary doctorate degree by De Montfort University
Dhoni announced his retirement from Test Cricket in 2014. He stepped down from Captaincy of the Indian cricket team in 2017. Presently, he plays for the Indian National Cricket Team as Wicketkeeper & Captain of Chennai Super Kings in IPL.
Outside his cricketing career, Dhoni shares a deep passion for motorcycles and owns many different bikes such as the Yamaha RD350, Harley Davidson Fatboy, Ducati 1098, Kawasaki Ninja H2 and the super exclusive Confederate Hellcat X132. He is the only southeast Asian to own this rare bike.
Daddy alike Daughter!
Dhoni married Sakshi Rawat on July 4, 2010, and the couple welcomed a beautiful daughter, Ziva, on February 06, 2015. Dhoni is a proud father who says that “Ziva has changed me as a person.” When Ziva was born, most of the time Dhoni was out playing cricket for the country. Now, when he is free, he loves to spend most of his time with his daughter. Ziva and Sakshi are usually seen in the cricket stadium cheering for Dhoni during the IPL games. 2 lovely ladies besides a successful cricketer.
Dhoni also had a biographical film made on his life titled: M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story starring Lt. Sushant Singh Rajput as Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Sushant has done a tremendous job in the film. His acting took the fans on a real-life journey of MSD. It won him the Screen Awards for the Best Actor (critics) in 2016. The film was a turning point in Sushant’s career which took him to greater heights. Unfortunately, the world lost this superhero on June 14, 2020, through suicide. But Sushant is still alive in the memories of his fans and the lovers of MS Dhoni.
Dhoni’s name is no longer just an identity. It is a sentiment that millions of people identify themselves with. For Dhoni’s fans “7 is not just a number, it’s an emotion.” That final over trend in cricket was a game-changer mode is all when the finisher Dhoni arrives on the pitch. A seater edge - nail biter batsman who tops the energy in all. When he comes on the pitch the heartbeat of his fans starts racing. His huge fan base is jumping in celebration today on his birthday.
Muthu Krishnan & Team celebrates this legendary sportsman who has changed the view of Indian Cricket. We wish the Captain Cool - A Very Happy Birthday! We are forever your fans & followers!