Mahendra Singh Dhoni, About this sound pronunciation (help·info) (Hindi: महेन्द्र सिंह धोनी) (born July 7, 1981 in Ranchi, Bihar) (now in Jharkhand) is an Indian cricketer and the current captain of the Indian national cricket team.
Initially recognized as an extravagantly flamboyant and destructive batsman, Dhoni has come to be regarded as one of the coolest heads to captain the Indian ODI side. Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, CB Series of 2007–08 , and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2008 in which they beat Australia 2–0. He also captained Chennai Super Kings to victory in the recent IPL 2010. He is now captain of India in all three forms of the game and also led the team to their first ever bilateral ODI series wins in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Dhoni also led team India to number one position in ICC rankings in test cricket for the first time. Dhoni has also been the recipient of many awards including the ICC ODI Player of the Year award in 2008 and 2009 (the first Indian player to achieve this feat), the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour in 2009. As of January 2010, Dhoni is the highest ranked ODI batsman on the ICC Rankings List. Dhoni was named as captain of Wisden's first-ever Dream Test XI Team in 2009 and has topped the list of world’s top 10 earning cricketers compiled by Forbes.[1] He was named as the captain of ICC World Test and ICC ODI teams for 2009.
Personal life
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born in Ranchi, Bihar (now in Jharkhand) to Pan Singh and Devaki Devi.[2] His paternal village Lvali is in the Lamgarha block of the Almora District of Uttarakhand. Dhoni's parents, moved from Uttarakhand to Ranchi where Pan Singh worked in junior management positions in MECON. Dhoni has a sister Jayanti and a brother Narendra. Dhoni had long hair which he has now shortened; he cut it because he wanted to look like his favourite film star John Abraham.He likes Bikes A Hummer to add to the four cars and 23 high-speed motorcycles already parked in his garage in Ranchi.He is endorsing 15 brands from clothes to cold Drinks. And, he is one of the highest income tax payers in last year [3] Dhoni is a fan of Adam Gilchrist, and his childhood idols were cricket teammate Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and singer Lata Mangeshkar.[4][5]
Dhoni studied at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali,(now the school is known as JVM , Shyamli,Ranchi) Ranchi,Jharkhand where he initially excelled in badminton and football and was selected at district and club level in these sports.Dhoni was a goalkeeper for his football team and was sent to play cricket for a local cricket club by his football coach. Though he had not played cricket, Dhoni impressed with his wicket-keeping skills and became the regular wicketkeeper at the Commando cricket club (1995–1998). Based on his performance at club cricket, he was picked for the 1997/98 season Vinoo Mankad Trophy Under-16 Championship and he performed well.[3] Dhoni focused on cricket after his 10th standard.[6]
Dhoni married Sakshi (née Rawat) on July 04, 2010. Sakshi Dhoni, a Kolkata girl, is studying hotel management and was working as a trainee at the Taj Bengal when the two of them met two years ago. The wedding stumped the media and the fans as it took place only a day after the couple got engaged.[7][8] Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, a close friend of Dhoni, was quick to inform the media that the wedding was planned for months and was not a spur of the moment decision.[9]
Playing style
Dhoni is a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. Dhoni is one of the number of wicket-keepers who have come through the ranks of junior and India A cricket teams to represent the national team — Parthiv Patel, Ajay Ratra and Dinesh Karthik also followed this route. Dhoni, referred to as 'Mahi' by his friends, debuted in the Bihar cricket team during the 1998/99 cricket season and was selected to represent India-A for a tour to Kenya in 2004. Along with Gautam Gambhir, Dhoni made multiple centuries against the Pakistan-A team in a tri-nation series and was selected in the Indian national team later in that year.[citation needed]
Mahendra Singh Dhoni breaks the stumps of a South African batsman during a match in Chennai in 2008.
Dhoni tends to play mostly from the back foot with a pronounced bottom hand grip. He has a very fast hand speed through the ball which often results in the ball racing across the ground. From this initial stance his feet do not show much movement which sometimes results in chasing balls while not coming to the pitch of the ball or inside edging a lot of balls.
Dhoni scored 148 against Pakistan in his fifth ODI match in 2005 — then the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper. Later in the year, he broke his own record as well as set the current world record for the highest score in the second innings in ODI matches as he scored 183* against Sri Lanka. Dhoni's success in the limited overs format secured him a place in the test team. Consistent performances in ODI cricket through the end of the 2005/06 season saw Dhoni briefly ranked as the No. 1 batsman in the ICC ODI ratings.[3]
Dhoni's form dipped through 2006 as India lost matches at the ICC Champions trophy, DLF Cup, away bilateral series against West Indies and South Africa. A return to form in the home series against West Indies and Sri Lanka in early 2007 proved to be an inaccurate indicator of Dhoni's form as India crashed out of the first round in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Dhoni was out for a duck in both India's losses. After the World Cup, Dhoni won the Man of the series award in the bilateral ODI tournament against Bangladesh. For the tour of England, Dhoni was named the ODI team vice-captain.[10]
Domestic career
Junior cricket
Dhoni was included in the Bihar U-19 squad for the 1998/99 season and scored 176 runs in 5 matches (7 innings) as the team finished fourth in the group of six and did not make it to the quarter finals. Dhoni was not picked for the East Zone U-19 squad (CK Nayudu Trophy) and Rest of India squad (MA Chidambaram Trophy and Vinoo Mankad Trophy). Bihar U-19 cricket team advanced to the finals of the 1999–2000 Cooch Behar Trophy where Dhoni made 84 to help Bihar post a total of 357. Bihar's efforts were dwarfed by Punjab U-19's 839 with Dhoni's future national squad teammate Yuvraj Singh making 358.[11] Dhoni's contribution for the tournament included 488 runs (9 matches, 12 innings), 5 fifties, 17 catches and 7 stumpings.[12] MS Dhoni made it to the East Zone U-19 squad for the CK Nayudu trophy but scored only 97 runs in four matches as East Zone lost all four matches and finished last in the tournament.
Bihar team
Dhoni made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar in the 1999–2000 season as an eighteen year old. He made a half century in his debut match scoring 68* in the second innings against Assam cricket team.[13] Dhoni finished the season with 283 runs in 5 matches. Dhoni scored his maiden first-class century against Bengal in the 2000/01 season in a losing cause.[14] Apart from the century, his performance in the 2000/01[15] did not include another score over fifty and in 2001/02 season he scored just five fifty in each season in four Ranji matches.[16] Dhoni's performance for the 2002/03 season in the Ranji Trophy included three half centuries in the Ranji Trophy and a couple of half-centuries in the Deodhar Trophy competition as he started winning recognition for his lower-order run contribution as well as hard hitting batting style.
In the 2003/04 season, Dhoni scored a century (128*) against Assam in the first match of the Ranji ODI trophy. He was part of the East Zone squad that won the Deodhar Trophy for the year and contributed with 244 runs in 4 matches. In the Duleep Trophy finals, Dhoni was picked over International cricketer Deep Dasgupta to represent East zone.[17] He scored a fighting half century in the second innings in a losing cause.[18]
India A team
He was recognized for his efforts in the 2003/04 season, especially in the ODI format and was picked for the India A squad for a tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya.[19] Against the Zimbabwe XI in Harare Sports Club, Dhoni had his best wicket-keeping effort with 7 catches and 4 stumpings in the match.[20] In the tri-nation tournament involving Kenya, India 'A' and Pakistan 'A', Dhoni helped India 'A' chase their target of 223 against Pakistan 'A' with a half-century.[21] Stressing on his performance, he scored back to back centuries – 120[22] and 119*[23] against the same squad. Dhoni scored 362 runs in 7 matches (6 innings, Ave:72.40), and his performance in the series received attention from the then captain – Sourav Ganguly[24] and Ravi Shastri amongst others. However, the India 'A' team coach Sandeep Patil recommended Karthik for a place in the Indian squad as wicket-keeper/batsman.[25]
Indian Premier League
M.S.Dhoni was contracted by the Chennai Super Kings for 1.5 Million USD. This made him the most expensive player in the IPL for the first season Auctions which was closely followed by Andrew Symonds. Dhoni is the present captain of the Chennai Super Kings team.
ODI career
ODI Career of Dhoni. Brown line indicates 10 match average while the orange line indicates career average progression.
The Indian team in the 2000s saw the use of Rahul Dravid as the wicket-keeper to ensure that the wicket-keeper spot didn't lack in batting talent.[24] The Indian cricket establishment also saw the entry of wicket-keeper/batsmen from the junior ranks with talents like Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik – both India U-19 Captains in the test squads.[24] With Dhoni making a mark in the India-A squad, he was picked in the ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour in 2004/05.[26] Dhoni did not have a great start to his ODI career, getting run out for a duck on debut.[27] In spite of an average series against Bangladesh, Dhoni was picked for the Pakistan ODI series.[28] In the second match of the series, Dhoni in his fifth one-day international, scored 148 in Vishakapatnam off only 123 deliveries. Dhoni's 148 erased the earlier record for the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper,[29] a record that he would re-write before the end of the year.
Dhoni had few batting opportunities in the first two games of the Sri Lankan bilateral ODI series (October–November 2005) and was promoted to No. 3 in the third ODI at Sawai Mansingh Stadium (Jaipur). Sri Lanka had set India a target of 299 after a Kumar Sangakkara century and in reply, India lost Tendulkar early. Dhoni was promoted to accelerate the scoring and ended the game with an unbeaten 183 off 145 balls, winning the game for India[30] – an innings described in Wisden Almanack (2006) as 'Uninhibited, yet anything but crude'.[31] The innings set various records including the highest Individual score in ODI cricket in the second innings,[32] a record that still stands. Dhoni ended the series with the highest run aggregate (346)[33] and was awarded the Man of the series award for his efforts. In December 2005, Dhoni was signed by BCCI to a B-grade contract, skipping the initial C-grade level due to his performance on the cricketing field.[34]
Dhoni bowling in the nets. He rarely bowls at international level.
India scored 328 in 50 overs with Dhoni contributing 68 in their first match of 2006 against Pakistan. However the team finished poorly, scoring just 43 runs in the last eight overs and lost the match due to Duckworth-Lewis method.[35] In the third match of the series, Dhoni came in with India in a precarious situation and scored 72 runs off just 46 balls that included 13 boundaries to help India take a 2–1 lead in the series.[36][37] The final match of the series had a repeat performance as Dhoni scored 77 runs off 56 balls to enable India win the series 4–1.[38] In recognition of his consistent ODI performances, Dhoni overtook Ricky Ponting as number one in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen on 20 April 2006.[39] His reign lasted just a week as Adam Gilchrist's performance against Bangladesh moved him to the top spot.[40]
Two canceled series in Sri Lanka, one due to the withdrawal of South Africa from the Unitech Cup due to security concerns[41] and the replacement 3-match ODI bilateral series against Sri Lanka washed due to rain,[42] was India's prelude to another disappointing tournament – DLF Cup 2006-07. Dhoni scored 43 runs as the team lost twice in three games and did not qualify for the finals. India's lack of preparation showed in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy as they lost to West Indies and Australia, though Dhoni scored a half-century against West Indies. The story of the ODI series in South Africa was the same for both Dhoni and India as Dhoni scored 139 runs in 4 matches and India lost the series 4–0. From the start of the WI ODI series, Dhoni had played 16 matches, hit just two fifties and averaged 25.93. Dhoni received criticism on his wicket keeping technique from former wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani.[43]
Preparations for the 2007 Cricket World Cup improved as India recorded identical 3–1 victories over West Indies and Sri Lanka and Dhoni had averages in excess of 100 in both these series. However, India unexpectedly crashed out the World Cup after losses to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Dhoni was out for a duck in both these matches and scored 29 runs in the tournament. After the loss to Bangladesh in 2007 Cricket World Cup, the house that Dhoni was constructing in his home-town Ranchi was vandalized and damaged by political activists of JMM.[44] The local police arranged for security for his family as India exited the World cup in the first round.[45]
Dhoni put behind his disappointment in the World cup by scoring 91* against Bangladesh after India were left in a tight spot earlier in the run-chase. Dhoni was declared the man of the match for his performance, his fourth in ODI cricket. He was also later adjudged the man of the series after the third game of the series was washed away. Dhoni had a good Afro-Asia Cup, getting 174 runs in 3 matches at an average of 87.00, with a blitzkrieg 139 not out of 97 balls, a Man Of The Match innings, in the 3rd ODI.
Dhoni was nominated as the vice-captain of the ODI team for the series against South Africa in Ireland and the subsequent India-England 7-match ODI series.[10] Dhoni, who received a 'B' grade contract in December 2005, was awarded an 'A' grade contract in June 2007. And also he was elected as captain of Indian Twenty-20 Cricket Team for the World Twenty20 in September 2007. On 2 September 2007 Mahendra Singh Dhoni equalled his idol Adam Gilchrist's international record for the most dismissals in an innings in ODI by catching 5 English players and stumping one.[46] He led India to the ICC World Twenty 20 trophy in South Africa with a victory over arch rivals Pakistan in an intensely fought final on 24 September 2007, and became the second Indian captain to have won a World cup in any form of cricket, after Kapil Dev. Dhoni took his first wicket and ODI wicket on 30 September 2009. He bowled Travis Dowlin from the West Indies. During the series between India and Australia, Dhoni hit an aggressive 124 runs in just 107 balls, in the second ODI, and a measured knock of 71 runs in 95 balls, along with Yuvraj Singh, saw India home by 6 wickets, in the third ODI.
Dhoni topped the ICC ODI Batsman rankings for several months continuously in 2009, it was Hussy from Australia who replaced him for the top spot in the beginning of 2010.
Dhoni had an excellent year in ODIs in 2009 scoring 1198 runs in just 24 innings at an astonishing average of 70.43. Dhoni was also the joint top-scorer in ODIs in 2009 along with Ricky Ponting, but the latter having played in 30 innings.
Test career
Test Career of Dhoni. Brown line indicates 10 innings average while the orange line indicates career average progression.
Following his good one-day form against Sri Lanka, Dhoni replaced Dinesh Karthik in December 2005 as the Indian Test wicket-keeper.[47] Dhoni scored 30 runs in his debut match that was marred by rain. Dhoni came to the crease when the team was struggling at 109/5 and as wickets kept falling around him, he played an aggressive innings and was the last man dismissed.[48] Dhoni made his maiden half-century in the second Test and his quick scoring rate (half century came off 51 balls) aided India to set a target of 436 and the Sri Lankans were bowled out for 247.[49]
India toured Pakistan in January/February 2006 and Dhoni scored his maiden century in the second Test at Faisalabad. India were left in a tight spot as Dhoni was joined by Irfan Pathan with the team still 107 away from avoiding follow-on. Dhoni played his typical aggressive innings as he scored his maiden test century in just 93 balls after scoring his first fifty in just 34 deliveries.[50]
Dhoni at fielding practice.
Dhoni followed his maiden test century with some prosaic batting performances over the next three matches, one against Pakistan that India lost and two against England that had India holding a 1–0 lead going into the test match. Dhoni was the top scorer in India's first innings in the third test at Wankhede Stadium as his 64 aided India post a respectable 279 in reply to England's 400. However Dhoni and the Indian fielders dropped too many catches and missed many dismissal chances including a key stumping opportunity of Andrew Flintoff (14).[51] Dhoni failed to collect the Harbhajan Singh delivery cleanly as Flintoff went on to make 36 more runs as England set a target of 313 for the home team, a target that India were never in the reckoning. A batting collapse saw the team being dismissed for 100 and Dhoni scored just 5 runs and faced criticism for his wicket-keeping lapses as well as his shot selections.
On the West Indies tour in 2006, Dhoni scored a quick and aggressive 69 in the first Test at Antigua. The rest of the series was unremarkable for Dhoni as he scored 99 runs in the remaining 6 innings but his wicket-keeping skills improved and Dhoni finished the series with 13 catches and 4 stumpings. In the test series in South Africa, Dhoni's scores of 34 and 47 were not sufficient to save the second test against the Proteas as India lost the test series 2–1, squandering the chance to build on their first ever Test victory in South Africa (achieved in the first Test match). Dhoni's bruised hands ruled him out of the third test match.[52]
On the fourth day of the first Test match at Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's, Antigua during India's tour of West Indies, 2006, Dhoni's flick off Dave Mohammed to the midwicket region was caught by Daren Ganga. As the batsman started to walk back, captain Dravid declared the innings when confusion started as the umpires were not certain if the fielder stepped on the ropes and Dhoni stayed for the umpire's verdict. While the replays were inconclusive, the captain of the West Indies side, Brian Lara, wanted Dhoni to walk-off based on the fielder's assertion of the catch. The impasse continued for more than 15 minutes and Lara's temper was on display with finger wagging against the umpires and snatching the ball from umpire Asad Rauf. Ultimately, Dhoni walked-off and Dravid's declaration was effected but the game was delayed, and Lara's action was criticized by the commentators and former players. Lara was called by the match referee for explanation of his actions but was not fined by the match referee.[53]
Dhoni scored two centuries in Sri Lanka's tour of India in 2009, a series of 3 matches in which he led India to a 2–0 victory. With this feat, India soared up to the number 1 position in Test cricket for the first time in history. India scored 726–9 (decl) in the third match of this series, which is their highest test total ever.[54]
Captain of India
Dhoni was named the captain of India Twenty 20 squad for the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 held in South Africa in September 2007.[55] India were crowned champions as Dhoni led the team to victory against Pakistan in a thrilling contest.[56] He, then went on to become the ODI captain of the Indian team for the seven-match ODI series against Australia in September 2007.[57] He made his debut as full-time Test captain of India during the fourth and final test against Australia at Nagpur in November 2008 replacing Anil Kumble who retired from cricket after the third test.[58] India eventually won that Test thus clinching the series 2–0 and retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.[59] Dhoni had previously captained India on a stand-in basis against South Africa and Australia in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
It was under his captaincy that India climbed to No. 1 in the ICC Test Rankings in December 2009. After that he managed to lead India in a series leveling world championship of Test against the South Africans in Feb 2010. As a result India managed No. 1 spot in the ICC Test Rankings.
Two-match ban
Dhoni was handed a 2 match ban from playing in the ODI series against Sri Lanka for the team's slow over-rate during the second one-dayer in Nagpur (18 December 2009) by ICC match referee Jeff Crowe.[60]
Cricket performance
ODI Cricket
ODI career records by opposition
# Opponent Matches Runs Average High Score 100s 50s Catches Stumping
1 Africa XI[61] 3 174 87.00 139* 1 0 3 3
2 Australia Australia 23 690 43.12 124 1 3 26 9
3 Bangladesh Bangladesh 9 247 61.75 101* 1 1 9 6
4 Bermuda Bermuda 1 29 29.00 29 0 0 1 0
5 England England 18 501 33.40 96 0 3 19 7
6 Hong Kong Hong Kong 1 109 - 109* 1 0 1 3
7 New Zealand New Zealand 9 269 67.25 84* 0 2 7 2
8 Pakistan Pakistan 23 920 54.11 148 1 7 22 6
9 Scotland Scotland 1 - - - - - 2 -
10 South AfricaSouth Africa 10 196 24.50 107 0 1 7 1
11 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 38 1514 63.08 183* 2 12 38 9
12 West Indies Cricket Board West Indies 18 499 49.90 95 0 3 16 4
13 Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 2 123 123.00 67* 0 2 0 1
Total 156 5271 51.67 183* 7 34 151 51
ODI Centuries:
ODI centuries
# Runs Match Against Stadium City/Country Year
1 148 5 Pakistan ACA-VDCA Stadium Vishakapatnam, India 2005
2 183* 22 Sri Lanka Sawai Mansingh Stadium Jaipur, India 2005
3 139* 74 Africa XI[61] MA Chidambaram Stadium Chennai, India 2007
4 109* 109 Hong Kong National Stadium Karachi, Pakistan 2008
5 124 143 Australia VCA Stadium Nagpur, India 2009
6 107 152 Sri Lanka VCA Stadium Nagpur, India 2009
7 101* 156 Bangladesh Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010
ODI records
* On 31 October 2005 Dhoni scored 183* runs of just 145 balls against Sri Lanka in Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, which is the highest score made by any batsman in the second innings (surpassing Lara's previous record of 153).[32]
o The innings featured 10 Sixes - the most by an Indian in an innings, and the second highest in ODI cricket after the 12 scored by Xavier Marshall of the West Indies.
o He broke Adam Gilchrist's record of 172 for the highest score made by a wicket keeper.
o The innings set the record for the most number of runs scored in boundaries (120 – 15x4; 10x6) breaking the record held by Saeed Anwar. However this was later broken by Herschelle Gibbs (126 runs in boundaries – 21x4; 7x6) against Australia during his knock of 175.
o The score of 183* equalled Ganguly's innings during the 1999 Cricket World Cup as the highest individual score against Sri Lanka.
* Among Indian batsmen who have played more than 50 matches, Dhoni has the highest average.[62] Dhoni's batting average is also the highest amongst wicketkeepers in ODIs.
* In June 2007, Dhoni(139*) and Mahela Jayawardene(107)[61] set a new world record for the sixth wicket partnership of 218 runs against Africa XI during the Afro-Asia Cup.[63]
o Dhoni passed Shaun Pollock's record for the highest individual score by a number seven batsman in one-day internationals during his unbeaten innings of 139.[64] Incidentally, Pollock record stood for just three days as his score of 130 came in the first match of the 2007 Afro-Asia Cup while Dhoni's century came in the third and final match of the series.
o Dhoni also holds the records of the most dismissals in an innings by an Indian wicketkeeper and joint International (with Adam Gilchrist) with 6 dismissals (5 catches and one stumping) against England at Headlingly 2 September 2007.
o Dhoni holds the Indian record of most dismissals in ODIs. He went past Nayan Mongia's 154 for India on 14 November 2008 when he caught Ian Bell off Zaheer Khan at Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot. However including 3 ODIs against Africa XI, his 155th dismissal was TM Dilshan caught off Munaf Patel at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on 24 August 2008.
* Dhoni, when he was on four during his innings of 23 against Sri Lanka at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Saturday, completed 4,000 runs in ODIs. Having already effected 165 dismissals (125 catches + 40 stumpings), Dhoni became the sixth wicketkeeper after Adam Gilchrist, Andy Flower, Alec Stewart, Mark Boucher and Kumar Sangakkara to complete the "double" of 4,000 runs and 100 dismissals in the history of ODIs. Dhoni’s feat of completing the "double" of 4,000 runs and 100 dismissals in only 114 innings is a world record. He is the youngest wicket-keeper batsman to do so (27 years and 208 days).
Man of the Series Awards
S No Series (Opponents) Season Series Performance
1 Sri Lanka in India ODI Series 2005/06 346 Runs (7 Matches & 5 Innings, 1x100, 1x50); 6 Catches & 3 Stumpings
2[65] India in Bangladesh ODI Series 2007 127 Runs (2 Matches & 2 Innings, 1x50); 1 Catches & 2 Stumpings
3 India in Sri Lanka ODI Series 2008 193 Runs (5 Matches & 5 Innings, 2x50); 3 Catches & 1 Stumping
4 India in West Indies ODI Series 2009 182 Runs (4 Matches & 3 Innings with an average of 91); 4 Catches & 1 Stumping
Man of the Match Awards:
S No Opponent Venue Season Match Performance
1 Pakistan Vishakapatnam 2004/05 148 (123b, 15x4, 4x6); 2 Catches
2 Sri Lanka Jaipur 2005/06 183* (145b, 15x4, 10x6); 1 Catch
3 Pakistan Lahore 2005/06 72 (46b, 12x4); 3 Catches
4 Bangladesh Mirpur 2007 91* (106b, 7x4); 1 Stumping
5 Africa XI[61] Chennai 2007 139* (97b, 15x4, 5x6); 3 Stumpings
6 Australia Chandigarh 2007 50* ( 35 b, 5x4 1x6); 2 Stumpings
7 Pakistan Guwahati 2007 63, 1 Stumping
8 Sri Lanka Karachi 2008 67, 2 Catches
9 Sri Lanka Colombo (RPS) 2008 76, 2 Catches
10 New Zealand McLean Park, Napier 2009 84*, 1 Catch & 1 Stumping
11 West Indies Beausejour Stadium, St. Lucia 2009 46*, 2 Catches & 1 Stumping
12 Australia Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur 2009 124, 1 Catches, 1 Stumping & 1 Runout
13 Bangladesh Mirpur 2010 101* (107b, 9x4)
Test cricket
Test performance:
Test career records by opposition
# Opponents Matches Runs Average High Score 100s 50s Catches Stumpings
1 Australia Australia 8 448 34.46 92 0 4 18 6
2 Bangladesh Bangladesh 2 104 104.00 51* 0 1 6 1
3 EnglandEngland 8 397 33.08 92 0 4 24 3
4 New Zealand New Zealand 2 155 77.50 56* 0 2 11 1
5 Pakistan Pakistan 5 323 64.60 148 1 2 9 1
6 South Africa South Africa 7 218 27.25 132* 1 1 6 1
7 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 6 363 60.50 110 2 1 15 1
8 West Indies Cricket Board West Indies 4 168 24.00 69 0 1 13 4
Total 42 2176 40.29 148 4 16 102 18
Test centuries:
Test centuries
# Runs Match Against Stadium City/Country Year
1 148 5 Pakistan Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad, Pakistan 2006
2 110 38 Sri Lanka Sardar Patel Stadium Ahmedabad, India 2009
3 100* 40 Sri Lanka Brabourne Stadium Mumbai, India 2009
4 132* 42 South Africa Eden Gardens Kolkata, India 2010
Man of the Match Awards:
S No Opponent Venue Season Match Performance
1 Australia Mohali 2008 92 & 68*
Test records
* Dhoni's maiden century against Pakistan in Faisalabad (148) is the fastest century scored by an Indian wicket keeper. Only three centuries by two players (Kamran Akmal and Adam Gilchrist – 2) were faster than Dhoni's 93 ball century.[66]
* Under Dhoni's captainship, India defeated Australia by 320 runs on 21st Oct'08, biggest ever win in terms of runs for India.[67]
* Dhoni holds the record for most catches by an Indian player in an innings. He achieved this feat by taking six catches during the first innings of the third test against New Zealand in Wellington in April 2009.
* Dhoni also equalled Syed Kirmani's record for most dismissals in an innings by an Indian wicket-keeper. Syed Kirmani has effected 6 dismissals (5 catches and 1 stumping) against New Zealand in 1976. Dhoni now has equalled that record for most dismissals with 6 dismissals (all 6 catches) against New Zealand in 2009.
* Dhoni currently ranks third in the all-time dismissals list by Indian wicket-keepers. With the six dismissals in the first innings of the Test match against New Zealand in Auckland,April 2009, Dhoni has now been involved in 109 dismissals. The following is the list of top five Indian wicket-keepers, in terms of all-time dismissals in test matches: Syed Kirmani (198 dismissals), Kiran More (130 dismissals), Dhoni (109 dismissals), Nayan Mongia (107 dismissals) & Farokh Engineer (82 dismissals).
* Dhoni is now the second wicketkeeper to have effected 6 dismissals in an innings apart from a fifty in each innings of a Test match. Denis Lindsay had accomplished the feat for South Africa against Australia at Johannesburg in December 1966 – 69 & 182 and 6 ct. + 2 ct.
* Under Dhoni's captaincy, India reached their highest test score of 726–9 (decl) during Sri Lanka's tour of India in 2009. Their 2–0 victory in the series took them to the number 1 ranking in Test cricket for the first time in history.
* Under Dhoni's captaincy, India had never lost a test match till the first test versus South Africa in Nagpur in Feb 2010.
* Under Dhoni captaincy Indian team is having world record for no loss as a Captain up to 11 test matches from debut test, preceding Australia's Former Captain Warwik Armstrongs no loss 10 wins as Captain.
Endorsements
MS Dhoni signed with Kolkata-based celebrity management company Gameplan Sports in April 2005.[68][69] Currently Dhoni has 20 endorsements, only Shahrukh Khan has more (21).[70] In 2007 Dhoni had 17 endorsements.[71] In July 2010, Dhoni tied up with Rhiti Sports Management and Mindscapes and has been promised a minimum guarantee of Rs 210 crore over the next three years.[72]
Initially recognized as an extravagantly flamboyant and destructive batsman, Dhoni has come to be regarded as one of the coolest heads to captain the Indian ODI side. Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, CB Series of 2007–08 , and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2008 in which they beat Australia 2–0. He also captained Chennai Super Kings to victory in the recent IPL 2010. He is now captain of India in all three forms of the game and also led the team to their first ever bilateral ODI series wins in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Dhoni also led team India to number one position in ICC rankings in test cricket for the first time. Dhoni has also been the recipient of many awards including the ICC ODI Player of the Year award in 2008 and 2009 (the first Indian player to achieve this feat), the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour in 2009. As of January 2010, Dhoni is the highest ranked ODI batsman on the ICC Rankings List. Dhoni was named as captain of Wisden's first-ever Dream Test XI Team in 2009 and has topped the list of world’s top 10 earning cricketers compiled by Forbes.[1] He was named as the captain of ICC World Test and ICC ODI teams for 2009.
Personal life
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born in Ranchi, Bihar (now in Jharkhand) to Pan Singh and Devaki Devi.[2] His paternal village Lvali is in the Lamgarha block of the Almora District of Uttarakhand. Dhoni's parents, moved from Uttarakhand to Ranchi where Pan Singh worked in junior management positions in MECON. Dhoni has a sister Jayanti and a brother Narendra. Dhoni had long hair which he has now shortened; he cut it because he wanted to look like his favourite film star John Abraham.He likes Bikes A Hummer to add to the four cars and 23 high-speed motorcycles already parked in his garage in Ranchi.He is endorsing 15 brands from clothes to cold Drinks. And, he is one of the highest income tax payers in last year [3] Dhoni is a fan of Adam Gilchrist, and his childhood idols were cricket teammate Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and singer Lata Mangeshkar.[4][5]
Dhoni studied at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali,(now the school is known as JVM , Shyamli,Ranchi) Ranchi,Jharkhand where he initially excelled in badminton and football and was selected at district and club level in these sports.Dhoni was a goalkeeper for his football team and was sent to play cricket for a local cricket club by his football coach. Though he had not played cricket, Dhoni impressed with his wicket-keeping skills and became the regular wicketkeeper at the Commando cricket club (1995–1998). Based on his performance at club cricket, he was picked for the 1997/98 season Vinoo Mankad Trophy Under-16 Championship and he performed well.[3] Dhoni focused on cricket after his 10th standard.[6]
Dhoni married Sakshi (née Rawat) on July 04, 2010. Sakshi Dhoni, a Kolkata girl, is studying hotel management and was working as a trainee at the Taj Bengal when the two of them met two years ago. The wedding stumped the media and the fans as it took place only a day after the couple got engaged.[7][8] Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, a close friend of Dhoni, was quick to inform the media that the wedding was planned for months and was not a spur of the moment decision.[9]
Playing style
Dhoni is a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. Dhoni is one of the number of wicket-keepers who have come through the ranks of junior and India A cricket teams to represent the national team — Parthiv Patel, Ajay Ratra and Dinesh Karthik also followed this route. Dhoni, referred to as 'Mahi' by his friends, debuted in the Bihar cricket team during the 1998/99 cricket season and was selected to represent India-A for a tour to Kenya in 2004. Along with Gautam Gambhir, Dhoni made multiple centuries against the Pakistan-A team in a tri-nation series and was selected in the Indian national team later in that year.[citation needed]
Mahendra Singh Dhoni breaks the stumps of a South African batsman during a match in Chennai in 2008.
Dhoni tends to play mostly from the back foot with a pronounced bottom hand grip. He has a very fast hand speed through the ball which often results in the ball racing across the ground. From this initial stance his feet do not show much movement which sometimes results in chasing balls while not coming to the pitch of the ball or inside edging a lot of balls.
Dhoni scored 148 against Pakistan in his fifth ODI match in 2005 — then the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper. Later in the year, he broke his own record as well as set the current world record for the highest score in the second innings in ODI matches as he scored 183* against Sri Lanka. Dhoni's success in the limited overs format secured him a place in the test team. Consistent performances in ODI cricket through the end of the 2005/06 season saw Dhoni briefly ranked as the No. 1 batsman in the ICC ODI ratings.[3]
Dhoni's form dipped through 2006 as India lost matches at the ICC Champions trophy, DLF Cup, away bilateral series against West Indies and South Africa. A return to form in the home series against West Indies and Sri Lanka in early 2007 proved to be an inaccurate indicator of Dhoni's form as India crashed out of the first round in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Dhoni was out for a duck in both India's losses. After the World Cup, Dhoni won the Man of the series award in the bilateral ODI tournament against Bangladesh. For the tour of England, Dhoni was named the ODI team vice-captain.[10]
Domestic career
Junior cricket
Dhoni was included in the Bihar U-19 squad for the 1998/99 season and scored 176 runs in 5 matches (7 innings) as the team finished fourth in the group of six and did not make it to the quarter finals. Dhoni was not picked for the East Zone U-19 squad (CK Nayudu Trophy) and Rest of India squad (MA Chidambaram Trophy and Vinoo Mankad Trophy). Bihar U-19 cricket team advanced to the finals of the 1999–2000 Cooch Behar Trophy where Dhoni made 84 to help Bihar post a total of 357. Bihar's efforts were dwarfed by Punjab U-19's 839 with Dhoni's future national squad teammate Yuvraj Singh making 358.[11] Dhoni's contribution for the tournament included 488 runs (9 matches, 12 innings), 5 fifties, 17 catches and 7 stumpings.[12] MS Dhoni made it to the East Zone U-19 squad for the CK Nayudu trophy but scored only 97 runs in four matches as East Zone lost all four matches and finished last in the tournament.
Bihar team
Dhoni made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar in the 1999–2000 season as an eighteen year old. He made a half century in his debut match scoring 68* in the second innings against Assam cricket team.[13] Dhoni finished the season with 283 runs in 5 matches. Dhoni scored his maiden first-class century against Bengal in the 2000/01 season in a losing cause.[14] Apart from the century, his performance in the 2000/01[15] did not include another score over fifty and in 2001/02 season he scored just five fifty in each season in four Ranji matches.[16] Dhoni's performance for the 2002/03 season in the Ranji Trophy included three half centuries in the Ranji Trophy and a couple of half-centuries in the Deodhar Trophy competition as he started winning recognition for his lower-order run contribution as well as hard hitting batting style.
In the 2003/04 season, Dhoni scored a century (128*) against Assam in the first match of the Ranji ODI trophy. He was part of the East Zone squad that won the Deodhar Trophy for the year and contributed with 244 runs in 4 matches. In the Duleep Trophy finals, Dhoni was picked over International cricketer Deep Dasgupta to represent East zone.[17] He scored a fighting half century in the second innings in a losing cause.[18]
India A team
He was recognized for his efforts in the 2003/04 season, especially in the ODI format and was picked for the India A squad for a tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya.[19] Against the Zimbabwe XI in Harare Sports Club, Dhoni had his best wicket-keeping effort with 7 catches and 4 stumpings in the match.[20] In the tri-nation tournament involving Kenya, India 'A' and Pakistan 'A', Dhoni helped India 'A' chase their target of 223 against Pakistan 'A' with a half-century.[21] Stressing on his performance, he scored back to back centuries – 120[22] and 119*[23] against the same squad. Dhoni scored 362 runs in 7 matches (6 innings, Ave:72.40), and his performance in the series received attention from the then captain – Sourav Ganguly[24] and Ravi Shastri amongst others. However, the India 'A' team coach Sandeep Patil recommended Karthik for a place in the Indian squad as wicket-keeper/batsman.[25]
Indian Premier League
M.S.Dhoni was contracted by the Chennai Super Kings for 1.5 Million USD. This made him the most expensive player in the IPL for the first season Auctions which was closely followed by Andrew Symonds. Dhoni is the present captain of the Chennai Super Kings team.
ODI career
ODI Career of Dhoni. Brown line indicates 10 match average while the orange line indicates career average progression.
The Indian team in the 2000s saw the use of Rahul Dravid as the wicket-keeper to ensure that the wicket-keeper spot didn't lack in batting talent.[24] The Indian cricket establishment also saw the entry of wicket-keeper/batsmen from the junior ranks with talents like Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik – both India U-19 Captains in the test squads.[24] With Dhoni making a mark in the India-A squad, he was picked in the ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour in 2004/05.[26] Dhoni did not have a great start to his ODI career, getting run out for a duck on debut.[27] In spite of an average series against Bangladesh, Dhoni was picked for the Pakistan ODI series.[28] In the second match of the series, Dhoni in his fifth one-day international, scored 148 in Vishakapatnam off only 123 deliveries. Dhoni's 148 erased the earlier record for the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper,[29] a record that he would re-write before the end of the year.
Dhoni had few batting opportunities in the first two games of the Sri Lankan bilateral ODI series (October–November 2005) and was promoted to No. 3 in the third ODI at Sawai Mansingh Stadium (Jaipur). Sri Lanka had set India a target of 299 after a Kumar Sangakkara century and in reply, India lost Tendulkar early. Dhoni was promoted to accelerate the scoring and ended the game with an unbeaten 183 off 145 balls, winning the game for India[30] – an innings described in Wisden Almanack (2006) as 'Uninhibited, yet anything but crude'.[31] The innings set various records including the highest Individual score in ODI cricket in the second innings,[32] a record that still stands. Dhoni ended the series with the highest run aggregate (346)[33] and was awarded the Man of the series award for his efforts. In December 2005, Dhoni was signed by BCCI to a B-grade contract, skipping the initial C-grade level due to his performance on the cricketing field.[34]
Dhoni bowling in the nets. He rarely bowls at international level.
India scored 328 in 50 overs with Dhoni contributing 68 in their first match of 2006 against Pakistan. However the team finished poorly, scoring just 43 runs in the last eight overs and lost the match due to Duckworth-Lewis method.[35] In the third match of the series, Dhoni came in with India in a precarious situation and scored 72 runs off just 46 balls that included 13 boundaries to help India take a 2–1 lead in the series.[36][37] The final match of the series had a repeat performance as Dhoni scored 77 runs off 56 balls to enable India win the series 4–1.[38] In recognition of his consistent ODI performances, Dhoni overtook Ricky Ponting as number one in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen on 20 April 2006.[39] His reign lasted just a week as Adam Gilchrist's performance against Bangladesh moved him to the top spot.[40]
Two canceled series in Sri Lanka, one due to the withdrawal of South Africa from the Unitech Cup due to security concerns[41] and the replacement 3-match ODI bilateral series against Sri Lanka washed due to rain,[42] was India's prelude to another disappointing tournament – DLF Cup 2006-07. Dhoni scored 43 runs as the team lost twice in three games and did not qualify for the finals. India's lack of preparation showed in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy as they lost to West Indies and Australia, though Dhoni scored a half-century against West Indies. The story of the ODI series in South Africa was the same for both Dhoni and India as Dhoni scored 139 runs in 4 matches and India lost the series 4–0. From the start of the WI ODI series, Dhoni had played 16 matches, hit just two fifties and averaged 25.93. Dhoni received criticism on his wicket keeping technique from former wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani.[43]
Preparations for the 2007 Cricket World Cup improved as India recorded identical 3–1 victories over West Indies and Sri Lanka and Dhoni had averages in excess of 100 in both these series. However, India unexpectedly crashed out the World Cup after losses to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Dhoni was out for a duck in both these matches and scored 29 runs in the tournament. After the loss to Bangladesh in 2007 Cricket World Cup, the house that Dhoni was constructing in his home-town Ranchi was vandalized and damaged by political activists of JMM.[44] The local police arranged for security for his family as India exited the World cup in the first round.[45]
Dhoni put behind his disappointment in the World cup by scoring 91* against Bangladesh after India were left in a tight spot earlier in the run-chase. Dhoni was declared the man of the match for his performance, his fourth in ODI cricket. He was also later adjudged the man of the series after the third game of the series was washed away. Dhoni had a good Afro-Asia Cup, getting 174 runs in 3 matches at an average of 87.00, with a blitzkrieg 139 not out of 97 balls, a Man Of The Match innings, in the 3rd ODI.
Dhoni was nominated as the vice-captain of the ODI team for the series against South Africa in Ireland and the subsequent India-England 7-match ODI series.[10] Dhoni, who received a 'B' grade contract in December 2005, was awarded an 'A' grade contract in June 2007. And also he was elected as captain of Indian Twenty-20 Cricket Team for the World Twenty20 in September 2007. On 2 September 2007 Mahendra Singh Dhoni equalled his idol Adam Gilchrist's international record for the most dismissals in an innings in ODI by catching 5 English players and stumping one.[46] He led India to the ICC World Twenty 20 trophy in South Africa with a victory over arch rivals Pakistan in an intensely fought final on 24 September 2007, and became the second Indian captain to have won a World cup in any form of cricket, after Kapil Dev. Dhoni took his first wicket and ODI wicket on 30 September 2009. He bowled Travis Dowlin from the West Indies. During the series between India and Australia, Dhoni hit an aggressive 124 runs in just 107 balls, in the second ODI, and a measured knock of 71 runs in 95 balls, along with Yuvraj Singh, saw India home by 6 wickets, in the third ODI.
Dhoni topped the ICC ODI Batsman rankings for several months continuously in 2009, it was Hussy from Australia who replaced him for the top spot in the beginning of 2010.
Dhoni had an excellent year in ODIs in 2009 scoring 1198 runs in just 24 innings at an astonishing average of 70.43. Dhoni was also the joint top-scorer in ODIs in 2009 along with Ricky Ponting, but the latter having played in 30 innings.
Test career
Test Career of Dhoni. Brown line indicates 10 innings average while the orange line indicates career average progression.
Following his good one-day form against Sri Lanka, Dhoni replaced Dinesh Karthik in December 2005 as the Indian Test wicket-keeper.[47] Dhoni scored 30 runs in his debut match that was marred by rain. Dhoni came to the crease when the team was struggling at 109/5 and as wickets kept falling around him, he played an aggressive innings and was the last man dismissed.[48] Dhoni made his maiden half-century in the second Test and his quick scoring rate (half century came off 51 balls) aided India to set a target of 436 and the Sri Lankans were bowled out for 247.[49]
India toured Pakistan in January/February 2006 and Dhoni scored his maiden century in the second Test at Faisalabad. India were left in a tight spot as Dhoni was joined by Irfan Pathan with the team still 107 away from avoiding follow-on. Dhoni played his typical aggressive innings as he scored his maiden test century in just 93 balls after scoring his first fifty in just 34 deliveries.[50]
Dhoni at fielding practice.
Dhoni followed his maiden test century with some prosaic batting performances over the next three matches, one against Pakistan that India lost and two against England that had India holding a 1–0 lead going into the test match. Dhoni was the top scorer in India's first innings in the third test at Wankhede Stadium as his 64 aided India post a respectable 279 in reply to England's 400. However Dhoni and the Indian fielders dropped too many catches and missed many dismissal chances including a key stumping opportunity of Andrew Flintoff (14).[51] Dhoni failed to collect the Harbhajan Singh delivery cleanly as Flintoff went on to make 36 more runs as England set a target of 313 for the home team, a target that India were never in the reckoning. A batting collapse saw the team being dismissed for 100 and Dhoni scored just 5 runs and faced criticism for his wicket-keeping lapses as well as his shot selections.
On the West Indies tour in 2006, Dhoni scored a quick and aggressive 69 in the first Test at Antigua. The rest of the series was unremarkable for Dhoni as he scored 99 runs in the remaining 6 innings but his wicket-keeping skills improved and Dhoni finished the series with 13 catches and 4 stumpings. In the test series in South Africa, Dhoni's scores of 34 and 47 were not sufficient to save the second test against the Proteas as India lost the test series 2–1, squandering the chance to build on their first ever Test victory in South Africa (achieved in the first Test match). Dhoni's bruised hands ruled him out of the third test match.[52]
On the fourth day of the first Test match at Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's, Antigua during India's tour of West Indies, 2006, Dhoni's flick off Dave Mohammed to the midwicket region was caught by Daren Ganga. As the batsman started to walk back, captain Dravid declared the innings when confusion started as the umpires were not certain if the fielder stepped on the ropes and Dhoni stayed for the umpire's verdict. While the replays were inconclusive, the captain of the West Indies side, Brian Lara, wanted Dhoni to walk-off based on the fielder's assertion of the catch. The impasse continued for more than 15 minutes and Lara's temper was on display with finger wagging against the umpires and snatching the ball from umpire Asad Rauf. Ultimately, Dhoni walked-off and Dravid's declaration was effected but the game was delayed, and Lara's action was criticized by the commentators and former players. Lara was called by the match referee for explanation of his actions but was not fined by the match referee.[53]
Dhoni scored two centuries in Sri Lanka's tour of India in 2009, a series of 3 matches in which he led India to a 2–0 victory. With this feat, India soared up to the number 1 position in Test cricket for the first time in history. India scored 726–9 (decl) in the third match of this series, which is their highest test total ever.[54]
Captain of India
Dhoni was named the captain of India Twenty 20 squad for the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 held in South Africa in September 2007.[55] India were crowned champions as Dhoni led the team to victory against Pakistan in a thrilling contest.[56] He, then went on to become the ODI captain of the Indian team for the seven-match ODI series against Australia in September 2007.[57] He made his debut as full-time Test captain of India during the fourth and final test against Australia at Nagpur in November 2008 replacing Anil Kumble who retired from cricket after the third test.[58] India eventually won that Test thus clinching the series 2–0 and retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.[59] Dhoni had previously captained India on a stand-in basis against South Africa and Australia in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
It was under his captaincy that India climbed to No. 1 in the ICC Test Rankings in December 2009. After that he managed to lead India in a series leveling world championship of Test against the South Africans in Feb 2010. As a result India managed No. 1 spot in the ICC Test Rankings.
Two-match ban
Dhoni was handed a 2 match ban from playing in the ODI series against Sri Lanka for the team's slow over-rate during the second one-dayer in Nagpur (18 December 2009) by ICC match referee Jeff Crowe.[60]
Cricket performance
ODI Cricket
ODI career records by opposition
# Opponent Matches Runs Average High Score 100s 50s Catches Stumping
1 Africa XI[61] 3 174 87.00 139* 1 0 3 3
2 Australia Australia 23 690 43.12 124 1 3 26 9
3 Bangladesh Bangladesh 9 247 61.75 101* 1 1 9 6
4 Bermuda Bermuda 1 29 29.00 29 0 0 1 0
5 England England 18 501 33.40 96 0 3 19 7
6 Hong Kong Hong Kong 1 109 - 109* 1 0 1 3
7 New Zealand New Zealand 9 269 67.25 84* 0 2 7 2
8 Pakistan Pakistan 23 920 54.11 148 1 7 22 6
9 Scotland Scotland 1 - - - - - 2 -
10 South AfricaSouth Africa 10 196 24.50 107 0 1 7 1
11 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 38 1514 63.08 183* 2 12 38 9
12 West Indies Cricket Board West Indies 18 499 49.90 95 0 3 16 4
13 Zimbabwe Zimbabwe 2 123 123.00 67* 0 2 0 1
Total 156 5271 51.67 183* 7 34 151 51
ODI Centuries:
ODI centuries
# Runs Match Against Stadium City/Country Year
1 148 5 Pakistan ACA-VDCA Stadium Vishakapatnam, India 2005
2 183* 22 Sri Lanka Sawai Mansingh Stadium Jaipur, India 2005
3 139* 74 Africa XI[61] MA Chidambaram Stadium Chennai, India 2007
4 109* 109 Hong Kong National Stadium Karachi, Pakistan 2008
5 124 143 Australia VCA Stadium Nagpur, India 2009
6 107 152 Sri Lanka VCA Stadium Nagpur, India 2009
7 101* 156 Bangladesh Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium Dhaka, Bangladesh 2010
ODI records
* On 31 October 2005 Dhoni scored 183* runs of just 145 balls against Sri Lanka in Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, which is the highest score made by any batsman in the second innings (surpassing Lara's previous record of 153).[32]
o The innings featured 10 Sixes - the most by an Indian in an innings, and the second highest in ODI cricket after the 12 scored by Xavier Marshall of the West Indies.
o He broke Adam Gilchrist's record of 172 for the highest score made by a wicket keeper.
o The innings set the record for the most number of runs scored in boundaries (120 – 15x4; 10x6) breaking the record held by Saeed Anwar. However this was later broken by Herschelle Gibbs (126 runs in boundaries – 21x4; 7x6) against Australia during his knock of 175.
o The score of 183* equalled Ganguly's innings during the 1999 Cricket World Cup as the highest individual score against Sri Lanka.
* Among Indian batsmen who have played more than 50 matches, Dhoni has the highest average.[62] Dhoni's batting average is also the highest amongst wicketkeepers in ODIs.
* In June 2007, Dhoni(139*) and Mahela Jayawardene(107)[61] set a new world record for the sixth wicket partnership of 218 runs against Africa XI during the Afro-Asia Cup.[63]
o Dhoni passed Shaun Pollock's record for the highest individual score by a number seven batsman in one-day internationals during his unbeaten innings of 139.[64] Incidentally, Pollock record stood for just three days as his score of 130 came in the first match of the 2007 Afro-Asia Cup while Dhoni's century came in the third and final match of the series.
o Dhoni also holds the records of the most dismissals in an innings by an Indian wicketkeeper and joint International (with Adam Gilchrist) with 6 dismissals (5 catches and one stumping) against England at Headlingly 2 September 2007.
o Dhoni holds the Indian record of most dismissals in ODIs. He went past Nayan Mongia's 154 for India on 14 November 2008 when he caught Ian Bell off Zaheer Khan at Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot. However including 3 ODIs against Africa XI, his 155th dismissal was TM Dilshan caught off Munaf Patel at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on 24 August 2008.
* Dhoni, when he was on four during his innings of 23 against Sri Lanka at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Saturday, completed 4,000 runs in ODIs. Having already effected 165 dismissals (125 catches + 40 stumpings), Dhoni became the sixth wicketkeeper after Adam Gilchrist, Andy Flower, Alec Stewart, Mark Boucher and Kumar Sangakkara to complete the "double" of 4,000 runs and 100 dismissals in the history of ODIs. Dhoni’s feat of completing the "double" of 4,000 runs and 100 dismissals in only 114 innings is a world record. He is the youngest wicket-keeper batsman to do so (27 years and 208 days).
Man of the Series Awards
S No Series (Opponents) Season Series Performance
1 Sri Lanka in India ODI Series 2005/06 346 Runs (7 Matches & 5 Innings, 1x100, 1x50); 6 Catches & 3 Stumpings
2[65] India in Bangladesh ODI Series 2007 127 Runs (2 Matches & 2 Innings, 1x50); 1 Catches & 2 Stumpings
3 India in Sri Lanka ODI Series 2008 193 Runs (5 Matches & 5 Innings, 2x50); 3 Catches & 1 Stumping
4 India in West Indies ODI Series 2009 182 Runs (4 Matches & 3 Innings with an average of 91); 4 Catches & 1 Stumping
Man of the Match Awards:
S No Opponent Venue Season Match Performance
1 Pakistan Vishakapatnam 2004/05 148 (123b, 15x4, 4x6); 2 Catches
2 Sri Lanka Jaipur 2005/06 183* (145b, 15x4, 10x6); 1 Catch
3 Pakistan Lahore 2005/06 72 (46b, 12x4); 3 Catches
4 Bangladesh Mirpur 2007 91* (106b, 7x4); 1 Stumping
5 Africa XI[61] Chennai 2007 139* (97b, 15x4, 5x6); 3 Stumpings
6 Australia Chandigarh 2007 50* ( 35 b, 5x4 1x6); 2 Stumpings
7 Pakistan Guwahati 2007 63, 1 Stumping
8 Sri Lanka Karachi 2008 67, 2 Catches
9 Sri Lanka Colombo (RPS) 2008 76, 2 Catches
10 New Zealand McLean Park, Napier 2009 84*, 1 Catch & 1 Stumping
11 West Indies Beausejour Stadium, St. Lucia 2009 46*, 2 Catches & 1 Stumping
12 Australia Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur 2009 124, 1 Catches, 1 Stumping & 1 Runout
13 Bangladesh Mirpur 2010 101* (107b, 9x4)
Test cricket
Test performance:
Test career records by opposition
# Opponents Matches Runs Average High Score 100s 50s Catches Stumpings
1 Australia Australia 8 448 34.46 92 0 4 18 6
2 Bangladesh Bangladesh 2 104 104.00 51* 0 1 6 1
3 EnglandEngland 8 397 33.08 92 0 4 24 3
4 New Zealand New Zealand 2 155 77.50 56* 0 2 11 1
5 Pakistan Pakistan 5 323 64.60 148 1 2 9 1
6 South Africa South Africa 7 218 27.25 132* 1 1 6 1
7 Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 6 363 60.50 110 2 1 15 1
8 West Indies Cricket Board West Indies 4 168 24.00 69 0 1 13 4
Total 42 2176 40.29 148 4 16 102 18
Test centuries:
Test centuries
# Runs Match Against Stadium City/Country Year
1 148 5 Pakistan Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad, Pakistan 2006
2 110 38 Sri Lanka Sardar Patel Stadium Ahmedabad, India 2009
3 100* 40 Sri Lanka Brabourne Stadium Mumbai, India 2009
4 132* 42 South Africa Eden Gardens Kolkata, India 2010
Man of the Match Awards:
S No Opponent Venue Season Match Performance
1 Australia Mohali 2008 92 & 68*
Test records
* Dhoni's maiden century against Pakistan in Faisalabad (148) is the fastest century scored by an Indian wicket keeper. Only three centuries by two players (Kamran Akmal and Adam Gilchrist – 2) were faster than Dhoni's 93 ball century.[66]
* Under Dhoni's captainship, India defeated Australia by 320 runs on 21st Oct'08, biggest ever win in terms of runs for India.[67]
* Dhoni holds the record for most catches by an Indian player in an innings. He achieved this feat by taking six catches during the first innings of the third test against New Zealand in Wellington in April 2009.
* Dhoni also equalled Syed Kirmani's record for most dismissals in an innings by an Indian wicket-keeper. Syed Kirmani has effected 6 dismissals (5 catches and 1 stumping) against New Zealand in 1976. Dhoni now has equalled that record for most dismissals with 6 dismissals (all 6 catches) against New Zealand in 2009.
* Dhoni currently ranks third in the all-time dismissals list by Indian wicket-keepers. With the six dismissals in the first innings of the Test match against New Zealand in Auckland,April 2009, Dhoni has now been involved in 109 dismissals. The following is the list of top five Indian wicket-keepers, in terms of all-time dismissals in test matches: Syed Kirmani (198 dismissals), Kiran More (130 dismissals), Dhoni (109 dismissals), Nayan Mongia (107 dismissals) & Farokh Engineer (82 dismissals).
* Dhoni is now the second wicketkeeper to have effected 6 dismissals in an innings apart from a fifty in each innings of a Test match. Denis Lindsay had accomplished the feat for South Africa against Australia at Johannesburg in December 1966 – 69 & 182 and 6 ct. + 2 ct.
* Under Dhoni's captaincy, India reached their highest test score of 726–9 (decl) during Sri Lanka's tour of India in 2009. Their 2–0 victory in the series took them to the number 1 ranking in Test cricket for the first time in history.
* Under Dhoni's captaincy, India had never lost a test match till the first test versus South Africa in Nagpur in Feb 2010.
* Under Dhoni captaincy Indian team is having world record for no loss as a Captain up to 11 test matches from debut test, preceding Australia's Former Captain Warwik Armstrongs no loss 10 wins as Captain.
Endorsements
MS Dhoni signed with Kolkata-based celebrity management company Gameplan Sports in April 2005.[68][69] Currently Dhoni has 20 endorsements, only Shahrukh Khan has more (21).[70] In 2007 Dhoni had 17 endorsements.[71] In July 2010, Dhoni tied up with Rhiti Sports Management and Mindscapes and has been promised a minimum guarantee of Rs 210 crore over the next three years.[72]