MS Dhoni (born 7 July 1981) is a former Indian cricketer and captain. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest captains and finishers in the history of the game. He is the only captain to have won all three major ICC trophies: the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. His six to win the 2011 World Cup final is one of the most famous moments in Indian sport. He retired from international cricket in 2020 and has led Chennai Super Kings to five IPL titles.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Mahendra Singh Dhoni |
| Nicknames | Mahi, Captain Cool, Thala |
| Born | 7 July 1981, Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand), India |
| Age | 45 |
| Role | Wicketkeeper, right-handed batsman |
| International career | 2004–2020 |
| Captaincy | Limited-overs (2007–2017), Test (2008–2014) |
| IPL team | Chennai Super Kings |
| Spouse | Sakshi Dhoni (m. 2010) |
| Children | 1 (Ziva, born 2015) |
| Known for | Three ICC trophies as captain, 2011 World Cup-winning six, helicopter shot |
Early Life
Dhoni was born in Ranchi to a family from Uttarakhand. At school he played football as a goalkeeper and badminton before his football coach asked him to keep wicket for the cricket team. He first played first-class cricket for Bihar in 1999. While playing domestic cricket he worked as a ticket collector for Indian Railways at Kharagpur in West Bengal.
Career
Dhoni made his ODI debut against Bangladesh in December 2004. He announced himself with 148 against Pakistan in 2005 and an unbeaten 183 against Sri Lanka later that year, then a record score for a wicketkeeper in ODIs. His long hair and powerful hitting made him an instant star.
Dhoni was made captain of a young side for the first ICC World T20 in 2007 and led India to the title. He took over the Test captaincy in 2008 and led India to the top of the Test rankings in 2009. On 2 April 2011 in Mumbai he promoted himself up the order in the World Cup final and finished it with a six, giving India its first World Cup since 1983. Two years later he led India to the Champions Trophy in England. He retired from Test cricket in December 2014.
Dhoni gave up the limited-overs captaincy in 2017 to Virat Kohli and announced his retirement from international cricket on 15 August 2020. In the IPL he has captained Chennai Super Kings to five titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023), and fans in Chennai call him “Thala” (leader). He returned as captain during the 2025 season after an injury to Ruturaj Gaikwad. He holds the record for the most stumpings in ODI cricket, and in 2023 the BCCI retired his No. 7 shirt.
Personal Life
Dhoni married Sakshi Rawat in 2010, and their daughter, Ziva, was born in 2015. He is an honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Parachute Regiment of the Territorial Army and a keen motorcycle collector. His life was the subject of the 2016 biopic M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, starring Sushant Singh Rajput, with Kiara Advani as Sakshi.
Awards and Honours
Major Titles as Captain
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was MS Dhoni born?
MS Dhoni was born on 7 July 1981 in Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand), India and is 45 years old.
What is MS Dhoni known for?
Known for: Three ICC trophies as captain, 2011 World Cup-winning six, helicopter shot.
Featured image: MS Dhoni meeting Army Chief General V.K. Singh in New Delhi, April 2011. Photo by Ministry of Defence, Government of India, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
