Born : Jul 07, 1981 Ranchi, Jharkhand
Current age : 30 years 22 days
Major teams : India, Asia XI, Bihar, Chennai Super Kings, Jharkhand
Also known as : Mahi
Batting style : Right-hand bat
Bowling style : Bowling style Right-arm medium
Fielding position : Wicketkeeper
Dhoni is a cricketer with an enviable record, both as player and captain. And yet it is his modesty underscored by a steely confidence that leaves people in awe.
When Rahul Dravid gave up the ‘keeping gloves after the 2003 ICC ODI World Cup, India’s prayers for a genuine wicketkeeper batsman were answered in the form of Dhoni. In just his fifth ODI appearance (against Pakistan) he muscled his way to a score of 148 off a mere 123 deliveries. Not very much later he scored 183 off 145 deliveries against Sri Lanka that set up a handsome victory for India while chasing a target of 299.
After the senior members of the Indian team - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly - decided to give the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup a skip, Dhoni was handed the captaincy. This marked the beginning of a new era for India as the team went on to win the first ever T20 World Cup, the 2008 CB Series in Australia, the Border Gavaskar trophy in 2008 and a historic Test series victory in New Zealand in 2009. Even the Chennai Super Kings have benefitted immensely with Dhoni at the helm – the powerhouse from Ranchi has led them to IPL and CLT20 victories in 2010.
