30 Most Inspiring Facts About M.S Dhoni That Every Fan Should Know

MS Dhoni, considered an effective "finisher" in limited-overs formats, holds numerous captaincy records such as the most wins by an Indian captain in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. He is regarded as one of the best wicket-keepers in modern limited-overs international cricket. Here are some really interesting facts about the Indian international cricketer:

1.  He hails from Ranchi, Jharkhand, a discrete city in the cricketing map of India, but who went on to captainthe Indian cricket team from 2007 to 2016 in various format.
2.  He honed his cricketing skill at Commando Cricket Club, from 1995 to 1998, though he was equally good at badminton and football at school in DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Ranchi.
3.  He took to cricket seriously in 1998, when he was selected to play for Central Coal Fields Limited team. In the same year he went on to represent Bihar U-19 squad and subsequently East Zone-Under-19 in 1999 for the C.K Nayudu Trophy.
4.  Dhoni worked as Travelling Ticket Examiner with Indian Railways at Kharagpur railway station from 2001 to 2003. He was spotted by divisional railway manager of SER, Animesh Kumar Ganguly and he got the job on sports quota.
5.  With effective stumping of South African batsman Aiden Markram, in the third ODI on February 07, 2018, Dhoni, became the first Indian wicket-keeper to effect 400 dismissals in ODIs. He is the fourth keeper in the world to do so.
6.  He made his first-class debut for Bihar against Assam on January 12, 2000, in the Ranji Trophy tournament scoring 40 and 68 not out and effected a stumping in the match.
7.  He started gaining attention with his hard hitting style of batting down the order and his talent was spotted by Prakash Poddar, the Talent Resource Development Officer in 2003. He was also part of 2003-04, Deodhar Trophy champion East Zone.
8.  Dhoni was selected in the India-A team for the tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya in 2003 and he performed brilliantly with 362 runs at an average of 72.40. But he just missed out to Dinesh Karthik on being selected to the senior team.
9.  He made his senior team debut on December 23, 2004, against Bangladesh, in Chittagong, in an ODI match. Though he was run out for duck facing just one ball, he made it up with a century his first with a score of 148 against Pakistan at Visakhapatnam off only 123 deliveries in April 2005.
10.  Dhoni recorded the highest score by wicket keeper with an unbeaten 185 of 145 balls against Sri Lanka at Jaipur on October 31, 2005. After being promoted up the order batting order, he exhibited ‘Uninhibited, yet anything but crude’ according to 2006 Wisden Almanack, in setting a record of highest individual score in the second innings of an ODI.
11.  He made his Test debut for India on December 05, 2005 in the first test against Sri Lanka and scored 30 of 54 balls in a drawn encounter.
12.  His consistent performance propelled him to the top of the ICC ODI batting ranking on April 20, 2006, since making his debut in December 2004. He averaged 52 in 42 matches, at an enviable strike rate of 103.
13.  On March 18, 2007, following India’s shock defeat against Bangladesh, in the first match of 2007 World Cup match, Dhoni’s effigy was set on fire andhis property ransacked at Ranchi by cricket fans.
14.  Dhoni captained India for the first time in the first World Twenty20 tournament and led it to the title in South Africa on September 24, 2007.
15.  Following his success at South Africa, he was appointed captain of India One-Day team for the series against Pakistan and Australia, in 2007.
16.  He was the world leading scorer in the One-Day Internationals in 2009 with 1198 runs in 24 innings with a an average of 70.43. He had to his credit two centuries and nine fifties.
17.  In December 2009, he was suspended for two ODI matches by the ICC match referee Jeff Crowe as India was three over short of the specific over rate per innings. He had faced suspension twice more for the similar offence in 2012.
18.  The high point of his cricketing career was captaining India to its second World Cup victory in 2011. He played a captains knock of 91 not out in the finals against Sri Lanka and rightly closed the match with his customary helicopter shot six to lift the title.
19.  When he led India to 2013 Champions Trophy title in England and Wales, he became the first captain in the world to lift all the ICC trophies. India defeated England in the finals by five runs.
20.  His 224 against Australia at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai in 2013, stands as the third highest score by an Indian captain in test. It is also the highest test score by an Indian wicketkeeper.
21.  Dhoni announced his retirement from test cricket on December 30, 2014, after guiding India to a draw in the third test against Australia at Melbourne with resolute 24 not out. He bowed out in style to become the first Indian wicketkeeper to effect nine dismissals in a test match.
22.  On March 19, 2015, when Dhoni led India to victory against Bangladesh in the quarter-finals of world cup, he became the first non-Australian to win 100 ODI matches in the world.
23.  He relinquished his ODI captaincy on January 2017, before the ODI series at home against England.
24.  Dhoni was the most expensive cricketer in the inaugural IPL auction with a price tag of $ 1.5 million contracted by the Chennai Supper Kings. He led them to two IPL titles and the 2010 Champions League Twenty20.
25.  On July 04, 2010, he married his school mate Sakshi Singh Rawat. They have been blessed with a baby girl named Ziva on February 06, 2015.
26.  He is the most successful Indian captain with 27 test wins, which includes longest unbeaten run in test with 11 matches.
27.  He is the co-owner of Chennaiyin FC, a Chennai based football club in the Indian Super League. He also owns Ranchi based Hockey club Ranchi Rays, a franchise of Hickey India League.
28.  A biographical sports film based on his life written and directed by Neeraj Pandey, was released on September 30, 2016.
29.  Dhoni was conferred Padma Vibhushan, the India’s third highest civilian award in the Republic day award list of 2018. He is recipient of Padma Shri and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awards earlier in his career.
30.  He had scored 4876 runs in 144 innings in tests with six centuries and 33 fifties. As a keeper has affected 38 stumpings and have taken 256 catches.
31.  Mahendra Singh Dhoni Net Worth: $170 Million