MS Dhoni: Life-History & Success Story

Cricket is one of the few sports that is immensely popular in India, surpassing all other games in terms of fan following and fame. Despite its origin in England, the sport has captured the hearts of Indians. The recent IPL auction serves as a testament to the immense popularity of cricket in the country. Nowadays, it is common to find young individuals idolizing cricketers, often forgetting that our National Game is actually hockey.<br><br>When discussing famous cricketers, a few notable names come to mind, such as Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, and Gundappa Viswanath. They were succeeded by Anil Kumble, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly in the second generation. Among the new generation players, a few have garnered significant fame, including Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shikhar Dhawan. However, Mahendra Singh Dhoni stands out among them due to his remarkable composure and “coolness”. Fans have affectionately given him nicknames such as “Captain cool”, “Mahi”, and “MSD”. His journey to success has been inspiring and worth reading about as he gradually rose to fame.

Birth And Childhood

Born on 7th July 1981 in Ranchi, Bihar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also known as MS Dhoni, hails from a Hindu Rajput family. His father, Pan Singh, held junior management positions in MECON, while his mother, Devaki Devi, dedicated her time as a housewife. Dhoni’s educational journey took place at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, Ranchi, where he showcased his exceptional skills in sports like badminton and football. As a result of his talent, he earned recognition at district and club level competitions.

Accidental Adventure

During his time on the school football team, he excelled as a goalkeeper. However, his talents were not limited to football alone. When his football coach asked him to temporarily take on the role of wicketkeeper for the cricket team, he astounded everyone with his impressive skills. This remarkable performance earned him a permanent position as the wicketkeeper for the Commando cricket club team from 1995 to 1998. His exceptional wicket-keeping abilities continued to capture attention, ultimately leading to his selection for the Vinoo Mankad trophy Under 16 championship team in 1997-1998.

Early Career

From 2001 to 2003, he served as a Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) at Karaghpur Railway station, located in the Midnapore district of West Bengal under the South Eastern Railway. Those who worked alongside him recall him as a highly honest and straightforward individual, though occasionally mischievous by nature. On one occasion, Dhoni and his colleagues playfully disguised themselves under a white blanket and ventured into the railway quarters at midnight, causing great fright among others who mistook them for ghosts.

Selection in Bihar Cricket Team

In 1998, Dhoni was initially chosen by Deval Sahay to join the Central Coal Fields Limited (CCL) team. At that time, Dhoni, who was in 12th grade, had only played school and club cricket and had not yet played professionally. While playing for CCL, Deval Sahay would reward Dhoni with Rs 50 for every six he hit in the Sheesh Mahal tournament cricket matches. Deval Sahay was the one who actively encouraged Dhoni to join the Bihar cricket team. As a result, Dhoni was selected for the Bihar U-19 squad for the 1998-99 season and later earned a place in the East Zone U-19 squad for the CK Nayudu trophy.

Ranji Trophy And Jharkhand Cricket Team

In the year 1999-2000, Dhoni began his Ranji Trophy journey with the Bihar team. He remained a part of the team for three consecutive years, from 1999/2000 to 2001/2002. During the 2002-2003 season, Dhoni showcased his talent by scoring three half-centuries in the Ranji Trophy and a couple of half-centuries in the Deodhar Trophy. It was during this time that Prakash Poddar, a TRDO officer, took notice of Dhoni’s impressive performance while he was playing for the Jharkhand team in Jamshedpur. Poddar was so impressed that he sent a report to the National Cricket Academy, highlighting Dhoni’s skills and achievements.

Entry in India A-Team

Due to his persistent dedication, Dhoni earned a spot in the India A squad for the 2003/04 season’s tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya. His remarkable performance, including consecutive centuries, caught the eye of the then Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly. Nevertheless, Sandeep Patil recommended Dinesh Karthik as the wicketkeeper for the Indian squad.

ODI Career

After showcasing impressive skills with the India A team, Dhoni earned a spot in the ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour in 2004/05. He was also selected for the Pakistan series. However, his initial matches did not yield great success. Dhoni’s breakthrough moment arrived during the Sri Lankan bilateral ODI series in October-November 2005. In the third ODI, with Sri Lanka setting a target of 299 runs, Dhoni displayed an unbeaten score of 183 runs off 145 balls, ultimately securing a victory for India. Following consistent performances in subsequent ODIs against Pakistan and Bangladesh, Dhoni surpassed Ricky Ponting to claim the number one spot in the ICC ODI Rankings for batsmen on 20 April 2006.

2007 World Cup

During a challenging period for Dhoni, he experienced tough times. In the 2007 World Cup, India shockingly exited the series after defeats to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the group stage. Dhoni failed to score any runs in both matches and only managed to accumulate 29 runs throughout the tournament. Consequently, Dhoni faced the wrath of his fans and even encountered the destruction of his house, which was being built in his hometown Ranchi, by political activists.

Rise as a Captain

Dhoni, initially given a ‘B’ grade contract in 2005, was later promoted to an ‘A’ grade contract in June 2007 due to his outstanding performance. In addition, Sachin’s recommendation led to Dhoni being chosen as the captain of the Indian squad for the World Twenty20 in September 2007.

2011 World Cup

In contrast to the 2007 world cup, India had a promising beginning to the 2011 world cup tournament under the leadership of Dhoni. They emerged victorious against Bangladesh, Netherlands, Ireland, and West Indies during the group stage. Although they suffered a loss against South Africa, they managed to tie with England. Moving forward, India defeated Australia in the quarterfinals and their arch-rivals, Pakistan, in the semi-final. In the ultimate match against Sri Lanka, held in Mumbai, Dhoni’s outstanding innings of 91* contributed significantly to India’s triumph in clinching the cup. As a result, he was honored with the Man of the Match award.

2015 World Cup

During the 2015 World Cup, India showcased an impressive performance in the initial matches, effortlessly advancing towards the semi-finals. However, their journey came to an end when they were defeated by Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Test Career

Dhoni’s excellent performance against Sri Lanka in the ODI caught the attention of selectors, leading to his replacement of Dinesh Karthik as the Indian Test wicket-keeper in 2005. In the second test, Dhoni achieved his first half-century, scoring it off just 51 balls. This quick scoring rate proved vital as India set a target of 436, resulting in the Sri Lankan team being bowled out for 247. Dhoni’s aggressive playing style during matches against Pakistan and West Indies further solidified his reputation. During the 2009 series against Sri Lanka, Dhoni’s exceptional performance included scoring two centuries, leading India to a 2-0 victory. In his final Test series during India’s tour of Australia in the 2014-15 season, Dhoni captained India in the second and third tests and subsequently announced his retirement from Test cricket after the third test in Melbourne.

T-20 World Cup

Dhoni was appointed as the captain of the Indian team for the World T20 in 2007. Unfortunately, his debut match as captain against Scotland was cancelled due to rain. However, he later led India to win the ICC World Twenty20 trophy in South Africa. The final match against Pakistan took place on 24th September 2007, marking Dhoni as the second Indian captain to achieve a World Cup victory in any format of cricket, following in the footsteps of Kapil Dev.

IPL

MSD, the renowned Indian cricketer, was signed by the Chennai Super Kings for a staggering 1.5 Million USD in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League, making him the highest-paid player at the time. Under his exceptional leadership, the Chennai Super Kings clinched two IPL titles and emerged victorious in the 2010 Champions League Twenty20. Unfortunately, due to a two-year suspension of CSK, Dhoni found himself contracted by the Rising Pune Supergiant for a hefty sum of 1.9 Million USD, where he was entrusted with the captaincy. However, his team’s performance faltered, finishing in 7th place. Nevertheless, in 2018, Dhoni was once again chosen by the Chennai Super Kings upon their return to the league.

Personal Life

In 2010, Dhoni tied the knot with his childhood friend Sakshi Singh Rawat, whom he had studied with at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir. Their wedding took place on 4th July in Dehradun. Despite rumors of it being a sudden event, occurring the day after their engagement, Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, a close friend of Dhoni, clarified to the media that the wedding had been planned for months and was not a spontaneous decision. In 2015, the couple welcomed their baby girl, whom they named Ziva.