Mahendra Singh Dhoni Biography: Personal Info, Education and Lifestyle

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Birth and Early Life 

MS Dhoni’s biography tells the story of the legendary cricketer’s early life. Dhoni was born on the 7th of July in Ranchi, Bihar (present-day Jharkhand) to parents Pan Singh and Devaki Devi. Interestingly, his family spells the surname as Dhauni instead of Dhoni. The name Dhoni only emerged thanks to multiple spelling errors by his schools.

Place of Birth and Childhood

Born in Ranchi, Dhoni spent most of his childhood in the city. He did his schooling from DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir. He played football as a goalkeeper before making a shift to the wicketkeeper position in cricket. The transition between the two sports was made after a suggestion from his school coach Keshav Banerjee.

Early Interests and Career

Dhoni’s early interests were sports and the former Indian skipper played multiple sports. From 1995 to 1998, Dhoni played as a wicketkeeper for the Commando cricket club, and in 1998 he was part of the Central Coal Fields Limited (CCL) team. He played under-16 and under-19 cricket for Bihar thanks to his performances in club cricket.

In the 1999-2000 Cooch Behar Trophy, Bihar made it to the finals where Dhoni scored 84 in a losing cause. He scored 488 runs in the tournament while taking 17 catches and made seven stumpings. In the same season, Dhoni made his debut in the Ranji Trophy for Bihar against Assam. Consistent performances for Bihar and Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy saw the rise of Dhoni as a cricketer. 

He was part of the East Zone squad which won the Deodhar Trophy and made the Duleep Trophy finals with East Zone. During his exploits at the domestic level, Dhoni worked as the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) at the Kharagpur station. He was later added to the India A squad where he scored 362 runs in six innings at an average of 72.4 which included back-to-back centuries.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Personal Information

The former Indian wicketkeeper batter has a huge stardom in the world of cricket. MS Dhoni’s biography and personal information are hugely followed.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Family 

Parents and Siblings

MS Dhoni was born to parents Pan Singh and Devaki Devi. His father worked at MECON where he worked in a junior management position. Dhoni’s mother worked as a homemaker. MSD also has two elder siblings. The former Indian skipper has a brother, Narendra Singh Dhoni, and a sister, Jayanti Gupta.

Spouse and Children

MS Dhoni married Sakshi on the 4th of July in 2010 in Dehradun. Dhoni and Sakshi have a daughter, Ziva Dhoni, and the three family members live in his farmhouse in Ranchi. Ziva was born on the 6th of February 2015.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Education 

MS Dhoni’s biography covers how the Ranchi-born cricketer completed his schooling at the DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir School in Ranchi. Unlike most of his peers, Dhoni went for a higher education at Gossener College. He was pursuing a B. Com degree, however, he could not complete the course due to his cricket schedule.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Records and Awards

MS Dhoni’s biography covers how the 43-year-old won multiple awards and created many records during his illustrious career. The legendary Indian skipper not only won three ICC titles for India with his leadership but also won multiple matches with the bat in hand. 

International Cricket Achievements

Dhoni with the Indian cricket team won multiple tournaments:

• Dhoni captained India to the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007.

• Dhoni captained India to the ODI World Cup in 2011.

• Dhoni captained India to the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.

• Dhoni captained India to the Asia Cup in 2010 and 2016 and won the title again as a player in 2018.

• MS Dhoni holds the record for having the most matches as a wicketkeeper captain in test cricket. Dhoni captained India 60 times in the longest format while keeping the wickets.

• MS Dhoni with a score of 183* has the record for the highest individual score by a wicketkeeper in ODIs.

• MS Dhoni holds the record for having the most matches as a wicketkeeper captain in ODI cricket. Dhoni captained India in 200 games while keeping the wickets.

• MS Dhoni jointly has the record for having the most dismissals in an ODI innings. He achieved the feat against England on the 2nd of September in 2007.

• MS Dhoni has the record for the most stumpings in his ODI career. Dhoni made 123 stumpings in his career.

• With three stumpings in an ODI innings, Dhoni holds the record for most stumpings in an innings.

• MS Dhoni holds the record for the most matches as a wicketkeeper captain in T20Is. Dhoni captained India in 72 games while keeping the wickets in T20Is.

• With 34 stumpings, Dhoni holds the record for most stumpings in a T20I career.

• Dhoni captained India in 332 matches, the record for the most in an international career. 

Domestic and Franchise Records

Dhoni’s captaincy and batting skills are further showcased in his franchise career with Chennai Super Kings:

• Dhoni captained Chennai Super Kings to IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023.

• Dhoni captained Chennai Super Kings to Champions League titles in 2010 and 2014.

• Dhoni was part of the East Zone squad that won the Deodhar Trophy in 2003-04. He scored 244 runs in four matches.

Prestigious Awards and Honors

Along with his achievements and records on the cricket field, Dhoni also won multiple awards and honors.

• MS Dhoni won the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna Award in 2008. It is the highest sporting honor an Indian can win.

• MS Dhoni won the Padma Shri in 2009. It is the fourth-highest civilian award an Indian can win.

• MS Dhoni won the Padma Bhushan in 2018. It is the third-highest civilian award an Indian can win.

• MS Dhoni was named the ICC ODI Player of the Year in 2008 and 2009.

• MS Dhoni was named in the ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year eight times. He was named to the team in 2006, 2008, 2009 (captain), 2010, 2011 (captain), 2012 (captain), 2013 (captain), and 2014 (captain).

• MS Dhoni was named an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel, in the Parachute Regiment of the Indian Territorial Army in 2011.

• MS Dhoni won the ICC People's Choice Award in 2013.

• MS Dhoni was named in the ICC Men's ODI team of the decade for 2011-2020. He was the captain and the wicketkeeper of the team.

• MS Dhoni was named in the ICC Men's T20I team of the decade for 2011-2020. He was the captain and the wicketkeeper of the team.

• MS Dhoni won the ICC Spirit of the Cricket Award of the decade for 2011-2020.

• Jharkhand Cricket Association named JSCA South Stand after Dhoni in 2019.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Lifestyle

MS Dhoni’s biography tells the story of his lifestyle. Dhoni enjoys a luxurious lifestyle and lives in a farmhouse in Ranchi. His house has a huge garage filled with some of the best bikes and cars in the world. He has a rich dairy diet because of his love for milk and yogurt. Dhoni follows a strict diet and avoids carbs and fats. The former Indian batter is a night owl and often stays up till 3 am.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Favourites

Interesting Facts about Mahendra Singh Dhoni

MS Dhoni’s biography shows how the former Indian batter leads an interesting life off the field. 

• Dhoni loves eating butter chicken. His teammate, Robin Uthappa once talked about how Dhoni eats butter chicken with gravy and roti. When he eats chicken he does not eat roti.

• Dhoni refused to inaugurate the stand, Jharkhand Cricket Association named after him. 

• The former cricketer scored 56% in the 12th standard and 66% in the 10th standard.

• There was a time when MS Dhoni used to drink six liters of milk every day.

• Dhoni likes to play online games and has been seen playing games like PUBG and Candy Crush.

• During the earlier stages of his international career, Dhoni impressed former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Parvez Musharraf with his hairstyle.

• Dhoni has a farm in Ranchi where he spends most of his time during the off-season.

• Dhoni met his wife, Sakshi Rawat in 2007 at the Taj Bengal Hotel in Kolkata where she was interning. 

• Dhoni is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army in the 106th Infantry Battalion of the Territorial Army.

• Dhoni was the most expensive player in the IPL 2008 auction.

• Before Dhoni became the captain of the Indian cricket team the position was offered to Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar then recommended Dhoni’s name for captaincy.

• Dhoni has multiple investments in other sports including Ranchi Rays in the Hockey India League and co-owns Indian Super League’s (ISL) Chennaiyin FC with Abhishek Bachchan.