MS Dhoni

Full name: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Nickname: Mahi
Born: July 7, 1981, Ranchi, Bihar
Major teams: India, Jharkhand, East Zone, Bihar

Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper

Test debut: India v Sri Lanka at Chennai - Dec 2-6, 2005

ODI debut: India v Bangladesh at Chittagong (MAA) - Dec 23, 2004

Twenty20 debut: India v South Africa at Johannesburg - Dec 1, 2006

PROFILE
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, popularly known as Dhoni is an aggressive batsman with good wicketkeeping skills. This lad from the backwaters of Jharkhand and With Adam Gilcrist as his idol, started playing for Bihar in 1999 at the age of just 18 years. Initially his performance with both bat and gloves were only modest but he kept on improving. After regular good performances he was noticed by the national selectors and was selected to represent India 'A' on the tour of Kenya. No sooner he was selected to represent the national team and awarded by the BCCI with a B-grade contract.

Dhoni on entering the Indian team showed them how important was he for the team. In Dec. 2005 he hit an amazing 183 off just 145 deliveries against Sri Lanka, equaling Saurav Ganguly's score for the highest individual score by an Indian in Odi. He also hit 10 huge sixes and surpassed the previous Indian record of 7 and just short of world record of 11. Averaging over 50, he soon overtook the Aussie captain Ricky Ponting as number one in the ICC ODI batsmen ranking, in Apr2006 but was soon dethroned. But even then he stills continues to be in the top 10.

In such a short time Dhoni has already written a list of records in his name, which is expected to expand by multiples in future. Such performances have ousted the likes of Dinesh Kartick and Parthiv Patel and Dhoni has taken over the responsibility of the Indian wicketkeeper cum batsman. Since then this man has never looked back and has become the most beloved player of all Indian cricket fans. The chicks have been fida on him due to his great looks and not to forget his long hair.