Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an Indian cricketer, current captain of the ODI and Twenty20 team and a wicket-keeper batsman. Currently, he is the captain of the Chennai Super Kings team in the Indian Premier League.

In 2004-05, as Dhoni played well in the India-A squad, he was selected for the Bangladesh tour, where he was out on a duck in his debut. Then, in his fifth ODI against Pakistan, he scored 148 in only 123 deliveries. In the third one day international against Sri Lanka in 2005, Dhoni scored an unbeaten 183 and won the game for India. In the Wisden Almanack, this innings is described as “Uninhibited, yet anything but crude”. In this series, Dhoni was awarded as the “Man of Series”.

In the third match of the series against Pakistan, Dhoni scored 72 runs in only 46 deliveries, including 13 boundaries, to help India to take a 2-1 lead in the series. In the last match of the series, Dhoni again scored 77 runs in 56 balls. On 20th April 2006, Dhoni was number one in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen.

Before the 2007 Cricket World Cup, India was triumphant against West Indies and Sri Lanka and in both these series Dhoni had an average of more than 100. In the match against Bangladesh, Dhoni scored 91 not out and was the Man of the Match. In the Afro-Asia Cup, Dhoni scored 174 runs in 3 matches at an average of 87, where in the 3rd match, he scored 139 runs off 97 deliveries. On 2nd September 2007, Dhoni equaled Adam Gilchrist’s record regarding the maximum dismissals in an innings by catching five English players and stumping one.

In December 2005, Dhoni replaced Dinesh Karthik as the wicket-keeper for tests and in the second test scored a half-century in 51 balls. In the tour of Pakistan in 2006, Dhoni scored his first century in only 93 deliveries in the second test at Faisalabad. In the tour of the West Indies, Dhoni scored a quick 69 in the first test. In the series, Dhoni did not sparkle with the bat, but took 13 catches and 4 stumpings.

Major individual achievements

• Under the captaincy of Dhoni, India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 trophy as well as Commonwealth Bank Series of 2007-08.
• He was the Man of the Series twice, once against Sri Lanka in 2005-06 and the other against Bangladesh in 2007.
• He has won six Man of the Match awards.