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Full name Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Born July 7, 1981, Ranchi, Bihar
Current age 27 years 185 days
Major teams India, Asia XI, Bihar, Chennai Super Kings, Jharkhand
Also known as Mahi
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Fielding position Wicketkeeper

Batting and fielding averages

Mat

Inns

Runs

Ave

100

Tests

1807

148

36.14

2873

62.89

208

ODIs

125

112

3935

183*

46.84

4329

90.89

311

125

T20Is

172

24.57

154

111.68

First-class

121

3959

148

35.34

189

List A

178

161

5843

183*

47.12

191

Twenty20

709

73*

37.31

530

133.77

Bowling averages

Mat

Inns

Balls

Runs

Wkts

BBI

BBM

Ave

Econ

Tests

7.00

ODIs

125

T20Is

First-class

4.85

List A

178

Twenty20

Career statistics

Test debut

India v Sri Lanka at Chennai, Dec 2-6, 2005 scorecard

Last Test

India v England at Mohali, Dec 19-23, 2008 scorecard

Test statistics

ODI debut

Bangladesh v India at Chittagong (MAA), Dec 23, 2004 scorecard

Last ODI

India v England at Cuttack, Nov 26, 2008 scorecard

ODI statistics

T20I debut

South Africa v India at Johannesburg, Dec 1, 2006 scorecard

Last T20I

Australia v India at Melbourne, Feb 1, 2008 scorecard

T20I statistics

First-class debut

1999/00

Last First-class

India v England at Mohali, Dec 19-23, 2008 scorecard

List A debut

1999/00

Last List A

India v England at Cuttack, Nov 26, 2008 scorecard

Twenty20 debut

South Africa v India at Johannesburg, Dec 1, 2006 scorecard

Last Twenty20

Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals at Mumbai, Jun 1, 2008 scorecard

The spectacular arrival of Virender Sehwag was bound to inspire others to bat with the same mindset. But the odds of a clone emerging from the backwaters of Jharkhand, whose state side has consistently scraped the bottom, was highly remote. That was until Mahendra Singh Dhoni arrived.

He can be swashbuckling with the bat and secure with the wicketkeeping gloves. His neck-length hair adds to his dash. Though Dhoni made his first-class debut in the 1999-2000 season, it was only in 2004 that he became a serious contender for national selection with some stirring performances when the occasion demanded. With his two centuries against Pakistan A, in the triangular tournament in Kenya, that he established himself as a clinical destroyer of bowling attacks.

In just his fifth one-dayer, against Pakistan at Vishakapatnam, he cracked a dazzling 148 - putting even Sehwag in the shade - and followed that up with a colossal 183 not out at Jaipur against Sri Lanka in November, when he broke Adam Gilchrist's record for the highest score by a wicketkeeper in ODIs. He made an instant impact on the Test level too, pounding 148 at Faisalabad, in only his fifth Test.

He was elevated to the vice-captaincy of the one-day squad for the tour of England and Ireland in 2007 and, soon after, was appointed captain of the Twenty20 squad for the World Championship in South Africa. A heady title triumph marked him out as a leader for the future and was handed over the reins of the one-day side in September 2007 after Rahul Dravid decided to step down as captain. It didn't take too long for him to enhance his reputation, claiming India's first tri-series triumph in Australia. He captained Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, losing out to Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals in a tense final. As a stop-gap Test captain, he was credited with leading India to their biggest ever win in terms of runs (320), against Australia in Mohali.

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (October 21, 2008)

Dec 31, 2008

Mahendra Singh Dhoni leaves after a meeting with a Ranchi police official © AFP

Dec 23, 2008

Mahendra Singh Dhoni with his trophies © AFP

Dec 23, 2008

Mahendra Singh Dhoni takes a rest from his wicketkeeping duties to roll his arm over © Getty Images

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