Captain Cool, Mr. Dependable, Mr. never-under-pressure, Mahendra Singh Dhoni requires no introduction. The young boy from Ranchi who was advised to be a wicket-keeper instead of a batsman has come a long way from being a ticket collector working with the Indian Railways to guiding Team India to victory in mega ICC tournaments. He is also the only captain to win all three ICC trophies (ICC World T20 2007, ICC ODI World Cup 2011, ICC Champions Trophy 2013).
Born on July 7, 1981, Dhoni has always been regarded as one of the greatest finishers in limited-overs format. Well, not only that but his quick, agile stumpings as a wicket-keeper has made him one of the best in cricket history. Recently, the former skipper became the first Indian wicket-keeper to effect 400 One Day International dismissals. Was that a fact you knew or did we spill the beans already? There are many more facts, records of Dhoni that are coming your way.
A wicket-keeper with long hair created history when he led India to win the T20 World Cup in 2007 and ever since then, there has been no looking back. The movie buffs and cricket fans may have not missed out on MS Dhoni the movie, but there are a few pieces which are still missing from the puzzle.
Ever since Dhoni took over as captain from Rahul Dravid in 2007, the attacking right-handed batsman has ensured that Team India had nothing to worry about. The legacy Dhoni built as a captain left a big gap to fill for current India captain Virat Kohli. The wicket-keeper retired as captain of India in the limited-overs format on January 4, 2017. Earlier on December 30, 2014, Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket.
The cricket obsessed fans in the sub-continent may know all about Dhoni and what his accomplishments are on field, but off field how well do you know the former skipper? The fans know about his love for bikes but what else does Dhoni crave and desire?
Here are a few facts which you may not have known about Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
On-field
1. MS Dhoni was recommended for Team India skipper by Sachin Tendulkar.
Team India were looking for someone to lead the team after Rahul Dravid in 2007, a person who could help the Men in Blue achieve the all glory in International cricket. 2007 is remembered as the year new new skipper MS Dhoni helped India win the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup.
2. MS Dhoni has the most tons as captain while batting at No.7 position
The former skipper has nine centuries in his ODI career and two of those tons come from batting at No.7 position. The most by any captain who has played in the lower-order position.
3. Most T20I matches won as captain
Dhoni's shot to fame was in the shortest format of the game as he has captained India in 70 T20I matches where he has won 41 of them. In second spot was Darren Sammy of West Indies with 27 wins. The gap between the two captains is huge!
4. Dhoni was Team India's first captain to help reach No.1 spot in Test rankings
Under MS Dhoni's captaincy, India topped the Test cricket rankings for the first time in 2009 and not only that, he was also the most successful Indian captain with 27 Test wins, eclipsing Sourav Ganguly's 21.
5. MS Dhoni was the first player to score 1000 runs in T20I without scoring a half-century
In T20Is, Dhoni was always known as the lethal finisher as his spot at No.7 has helped the former captain reach 1000 runs without scoring a half century.
Off-field
1. MS Dhoni is fast friends with Bipasha Basu and John Abraham. Not only was the former skipper good friends with the ex-couple, his hairstyle was also inspired by John.
2. Dhoni was conferred with the honorary rank of Lt Colonel by the Indian Territorial Army in 2011, the second Indian cricketer after Kapil Dev.
3. MS Dhoni was a huge football fan before he became a cricketer. He is also known to have a hand in badminton.
4. MS Dhoni is a huge WWE fan. His favourite wrestlers were Bret the 'Hitman' Hart and Hulk Hogan.
5. MS Dhoni is a music buff. The former skipper is an avid fan of old Hindi movie melodies and his favourite singer is the late Kishore Kumar.
