| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Mahendra Singh Dhoni |
| Real Name | Mahendra Singh Dhauni [1]Business Standard |
| Nickname | Mahi |
| Names Earned | MSD, MS, Captain Cool |
| Profession | Cricketer (Wicket-keeper) |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 175 cm in meters– 1.75 m in feet inches– 5’ 9” |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms– 75 kg in pounds– 165 lbs |
| Body Measurements (approx.) | – Chest: 42 inches – Waist: 32 inches – Biceps: 14 inches |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Cricket | |
| International Debut | ODI- 23 December 2004 against Bangladesh at Chittagong Test- 2 December 2005 against Sri Lanka at Chennai T20 – 1 December 2006 against South Africa at Johannesburg |
| Last Match | ODI– 9 July 2019 against New Zealand at Emirates Old Trafford Test– 26 December 2014 against Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground T20– 27 February 2019 against South Africa at The Wanderers Stadium |
| International Retirement | 15 August 2020 [2]CricBuzz |
| Jersey Number | #7 (India) #7 (IPL) |
| Domestic/State Team(s) | Asia XI, Bihar, Chennai Super Kings, Jharkhand, Rising Pune Supergiants |
| Coach/Mentor | Keshav Banerjee and Chanchal Bhattacharya |
| Batting Style | Right-Handed |
| Bowling Style | Right-Arm Fast Medium |
| Favourite Shots | Helicopter Shot and Paddlesweep |
| Nature on Field | Calm |
| Likes to play against | Pakistan and Australia |
| Records (main ones) | • Under his captaincy, Indian team won major tournaments in all 3 formats: the No.1 Test ranking for 18 months (2009-2011), the ODI World Cup in 2011, Champions Trophy in 2013 and the Twenty20 World Cup in 2007. • Most centuries at the position of No.7 in ODIs. • Most 6s in International Cricket as a captain. • Most number of stumpings in International Cricket. • Highest score by a wicket-keeper batsman in ODIs (183 runs). • Won most T20 International matches as a captain. • Most times bowled in International Cricket while playing a match as a wicket-keeper.  • Only skipper to score an ODI century while batting at No.7 • First Indian wicket-keeper batsman to score 4,000 Test runs. • Highlight score by an Indian captain in Tests (224 runs). • 3rd skipper ever to have captained in 300+ international matches, after Ricky Ponting (324) and Stephen Fleming (303). • The only skipper to have captained 50+ matches in all 3 formats. • First Indian captain to win a Test series in New Zealand. • In July 2018, he made the record of maximum stumpings in Twenty20 Internationals (33 stumpings in 91 matches). |
| Career Turning Point | Performance in the 2003/04 tri-nation tournament against Kenya and Pakistan A, where he scored 362 runs in 6 matches at an average of 72.40. |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | National Awards • Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2007) • Padma Shri (2009) • Padma Bhushan (2018)  Achievements • MTV Youth Icon of the Year (2006) • ICC ODI Player of the Year (2008, 2009) • CNN-IBN Indian of the Year in Sports (2011) • ICC Award for Spirit of Cricket (2011) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 7 July 1981 |
| Age (as of 2023) | 42 Years |
| Birthplace | Ranchi, Jharkhand, (Then in Bihar) India |
| Zodiac sign | Cancer |
| Signature |  |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Ranchi, Jharkhand, India |
| School | DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, Ranchi, Jharkhand |
| College/University | St. Xaviers College, Ranchi, Jharkhand |
| Educational Qualification | College Dropout |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Khas Rajput [3]Business Standard |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian |
| Address | Harmu Housing Colony, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India |
| Hobbies | Biking, Playing Football and Tennis, Swimming |
| Controversies | • In 2007, 40 residents of his locality filed a plea against the Ranchi Regional Development Authority (RRDA) for wasting 15,000 litres of water in M.S. Dhoni’s home in daily maintenance of the swimming pool. At that time, his locality was going through a severe water crisis. [4]India Times
• He was involved in a tax evasion controversy over his Hummer H2, as the vehicle needed a registration charge of ₹4 lakhs in India, but it was mistakenly registered as a Mahindra Scorpio, the charge of registering which is ₹53,000. [5]Indian Express • During the 2013 IPL spot-fixing, Dhoni was on the radar of the Supreme Court. He was in the contact with Gurunath Meiyappan, who was named in betting charge sheet. Later, Dhoni called Gurunath Meiyappan, a “mere cricket enthusiast.” However, Meiyappan was a full-fledged team owner. [6]Hindustan Times • In 2016, he resigned as the brand ambassador of Amrapali real estate group after the residents from one of the Amrapali units carried a social media campaign after facing logistical issues in the society. • In November 2022, he moved a contempt petition at the Madras High Court against IPS officer G Sampath Kumar for Kumar’s remarks while he was investigating the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing and betting scandal of 2013. [7]India Today |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Priyanka Jha (died in 2002) Lakshmi Rai (South Indian actress)  Sakshi Singh Rawat (Sakshi Dhoni) |
| Marriage Date | 4 July 2010 |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Sakshi Dhoni |
| Children | Daughter– Ziva Son– None |
| Parents | Father– Pan Singh (MECON employee; worked at Junior Management position) Mother– Devki Devi  |
| Siblings | Brother– Narendra Singh Dhoni (Elder, Politician) Sister– Jayanti Gupta (Elder)  |
| Favourites | |
| Cricketer(s) | Batsmen : Sachin Tendulkar, Adam Gilchrist Bowlers : Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee |
| Cricket Ground(s) | Lord’s Cricket Ground, London Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne |
| Food | Chicken Butter Masala, Chicken Tikka Pizza, Kebabs, Yellow Dal, Sonpapdi, Gulab Jamun and Rasgullas |
| Football Player | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Tennis Player | Rafael Nadal |
| Actor(s) | Amitabh Bachchan, John Abraham |
| Actresses | Angelina Jolie, Deepika Padukone |
| Film(s) | Agneepath, Sholay |
| Musician | Kishore Kumar |
| Colour(s) | Blue and Black |
| Travel Destination(s) | Sri Lanka, Goa |
| Style Quotient | |
| Cars Collection | Open Mahindra Scorpio, Maruti SX4, Hummer H2, Toyota Corolla, Land Rover Freelander, GMC Sierra, Mitsubishi Pajero Sfx, Mitsubishi Out Lander, Porsche 911, Audi Q7 SUV, Ferrari 599, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Note: In December 2021, he added a 1971 vintage Land Rover 3 to his garage after participating in an auction held by Big Boy Toyz. [8]Hindustan Times His collection of vintage cars includes Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and a 1969 Ford Mustang Fastback. |
| Bikes Collection | Kawasaki Ninja H2, Confederate Hellcat, BSA, Suzuki Hayabusa, a Norton Vintage, Hero Karizma ZMR, Yamaha Rxz, Yamaha Thundercat, Yamaha Rx, Ducati 1098, Yamaha Rd 350, Tvs Apache, Kawasaki zx14r Ninja, Confederate Hellcat X 132, Harley Davidson Fat boy, Enfield Machismo, Customized Tvs Dirt bike, TVS Ronin (bought in February 2023) [9]The Times of India |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary (approx.) | Rs. 12 Crore (IPL 2023) [10]Outlook |
| Net Worth (approx.) | Rs 1,040 crore (as of July 2023) [11]Outlook |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Mahendra Singh Dhoni
- Does Mahendra Singh Dhoni smoke?: No
- Does Mahendra Singh Dhoni drink alcohol?: Yes, occasionally
- His family belongs to Lawli, a village in Almora district in Uttarakhand. In the 1970s, his father, Pan Singh, left the village to work in a steel factory in Ranchi.
MS Dhoni’s family’s ancestral home in Lwali village, Almora district in Uttarakhand
- MS Dhoni’s surname is ‘Dhauni’ and not Dhoni. According to his uncle Ghanpath Singh Dhauni, his surname was wrongly entered in the school certificates, which could not be rectified even after multiple requests. [12]Business Standard
- He secured 65% in his 10th Board exams.
- In 1993, he was first spotted as a goalkeeper by KR Banerjee, the cricket coach at his school, who later asked him to try his hand in wicket-keeping.
MS Dhoni in younger days
- It was PC Poddar, the former cricket captain of Bengal, who saw great potential in him during the Talent Resource Development Wing (TRDW) match in Jamshedpur. After which, he was selected in the Bihar U19 team in the 1998/99 season, where he scored 176 runs in 5 matches.
- In 2002, when Dhoni was trying for a place in the India team, he fell in love with a girl named Priyanka Jha. But, unfortunately, Priyanka died in an accident, the same year.
- Though he played as a senior for Bihar from 1999 to 2003, his consistent performance was ignored by East Zone selectors, after which he was moved to West Bengal, where he started working as a ticket collector at Kharagpur railway station for 3 years (2001-2003).
- In 2003, Sourav Ganguly approached him to move to Kolkata, but he denied the offer and went back to Bihar, where he went to the National Cricket Academy.
- His life took a turn in 2004 when he got selected for India A tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya, where he performed exceptionally well.
- On his ODI debut against Bangladesh on 23 December 2004, he was out for a duck.
- Dhoni made his 1st ODI century against arch-rival Pakistan in Vishakapatnam, where he smashed 148 runs from 123 balls.
- Earlier, he used to have long hairs for two reasons, first he is a huge fan of John Abraham, secondly, he used to consider it lucky.
Early look of MS Dhoni
- In 2006, he was voted as the MTV Youth Icon.
- Even after achieving such a huge success in his early career, he remained grounded and spends time with his childhood buddies.
- It was Sachin Tendulkar who recommended his name for India’s skipper in 2007, after which Indian cricket team reached the heights like never before.
- He and his wife Sakshi knew each other since their childhood, but their love ignited in winters of 2007 when they met in Kolkata through Yudhajit Dutta (Dhoni’s manager and friend). It was Dhoni who asked for her number from his manager, and when he later messaged her, she didn’t believe it initially. They dated each other for 3 years and got married in a low-profile ceremony in 2010.
- In 2011, he was honoured with the rank of Lt. Colonel by the Indian Territorial Army.
MS Dhoni as Lt. Colonel of Indian Territorial Army
- He was the highest taxpayer sportsperson in India for the year 2012, 2013, 2014.
- Dhoni is a good friend of actor, John Abraham.
MS Dhoni with John Abraham
- He is counted among the best finishers in modern cricket, and known for finishing the ODI matches by hitting a six, popular among them was the winning six in the 2011 ICC World Cup final against Sri Lanka.
- Dhoni learned his signature shot, ‘The Helicopter Shot’ from his childhood friend Santosh Lal, who passed away in July 2013.
- In 2012, he became one of the world’s top-earning sportsperson (#31 in the world) by Forbes magazine, beating popular sportspersons such as Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and the World’s fastest man Usain Bolt.
- He announced his Test retirement after the Melbourne test match in December 2014 during the Australia tour, where he was just 1 test match defeat away for equaling the record of being captain of most defeated test matches abroad.
- There is a hotel in Ranchi named after him – ‘Mahi Residency.’ The hotel was named after he made it to the squad of the Indian national cricket team in 2004.
MS Dhoni’s hotel in Ranchi
- Dhoni is a pet lover and has 2 pet dogs, a Labrador named Zarah and an Alsatian named Sam.
Dhoni with his pets
- He is a bike lover and is the co-owner of ‘Mahi Racing Team India‘ in Supersport World Championship.
MS Dhoni’s Mahi Racing Team India
- In 2016, he launched a fashion brand ‘Seven’ with Rhiti Group.
- It was rumoured that he took ₹40 crores from the makers of his biopic M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016), starring Sushant Singh Rajput.
- He loves “camouflage” clothes and accessories.
- On 2 April 2018, he received Indin’s 3rd highest civilian award ‘Padma Bhushan‘ from President Ram Nath Kovind. Dhoni made this prestigious moment even more special by wearing a military uniform and by marching past the dignitaries present at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- On 15 August 2020, he announced his retirement from international cricket through an Instagram post.
View this post on Instagram
Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout.from 1929 hrs consider me as Retired
- On 15 August 2020, his wife, Sakshi Dhoni shared an image and a video of a bright red Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (a muscle car from the 1970s) on her Instagram account; welcoming the new addition to MS Dhoni’s enviable collection of cars.
- On 2 February 2022, the poster of a graphic novel, Atharva – The Origin, was released by Virzu Studios in association with MIDAS Deals Pvt Ltd. In this graphic novel, Dhoni has appeared as a superhero and warrior leader.
- On 24 March 2022, CSK announced that Dhoni had decided to hand over the CSK captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja after he led the team in twelve seasons, four title triumphs, and five runner-up finishes. [13]The Hindu CSK said in a statement,
MS Dhoni has decided to hand over the leadership of Chennai Super Kings and picked Ravindra Jadeja to lead the team. Jadeja, who has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2012, will only be the third player to lead CSK.”
- He has produced three small-budget films, Roar of Lion, The Hidden Hindu, and Blaze to Glory, under the banner of MS Dhoni Entertainment. In October 2022, it was announced that his banner will produce feature films in Tamil and other southern Indian languages such as Telugu and Malayalam.
#LetsCinema EXCLUSIVE: Dhoni is launching his film production company in south ‘Dhoni Entertainment’ to produce films in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. pic.twitter.com/zgTxzdSynT
— LetsCinema (@letscinema) October 9, 2022
- On 9 May 2023, he presented personalised jerseys to Bomman and Bellie of The Elephant Whisperers fame at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, in Chennai. He also presented a jersey to the film’s Oscar-winning director Kartiki Gonsalves.
Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni presenting the jerseys to Bomman and Bellie on 9 May 2023
Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni presenting a personalised jersey to Kartiki Gonsalves on 9 May 2023
- Under his captaincy, Chennai Super Kings won IPL 2023 trophy, equalling Mumbai Indians’ record of winning the tournament the most number of times; they won the coveted trophy for the fifth time. [14]The Economic Times
MS Dhoni holding IPL 2023 trophy with Ravindra Jadeja
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