Dhoni, Mahendra Singh (1981-…), an Indian cricket player, is one of the most famous and popular players in the sport and a national hero in India. Dhoni is a wicketkeeper and a right-handed batsman. In addition to his success as a player, Dhoni won fame for his leadership after becoming captain of the Indian One Day International (ODI) team in 2007 and world Test team in 2008. One Day International matches and Test matches represent the highest level of international cricket competition. Under Dhoni’s leadership, India won numerous championships, climaxed by the country’s victory in the World Cup in 2011. In national cricket, Dhoni captained the Chennai Super Kings to titles in both the Indian Premier League (IPL)—India’s top cricket league—and the Champions League in 2010. He also captained the Chennai Super Kings to IPL titles in 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023.
Dhoni has received many individual awards. They include the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI Player of the Year award in 2008 and 2009. Dhoni was the first Indian player to receive the award two consecutive years. In 2010, he led India to the number-one position in ICC rankings, the first time the country had achieved that position.
Dhoni was born on July 7, 1981, in Ranchi in eastern India. He played badminton and soccer in school before turning to cricket in the mid-1990’s. He was selected for the Indian national team in 2004. He made his ODI debut that year against Bangladesh. He made his Test debut in 2005 against Sri Lanka. Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020.
See also Cricket.