From Ticket Collector to Indian Captain Cool'!

 

An everyday man who went on to be popularly known as ‘Captain Cool’, the former Indian cricket team captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, commonly known as M.S.Dhoni and Mahi. This Indian cricketer whose rise to prominence in the early 21st century culminated in his captaincy of the Indian national team that won the one-day Cricket World Cup in 2011. Indian cricket has not seen anyone quite like the small-town boy who went on to conquer it all.

 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one name that made millions of Indian dreams come true. Born on 7th July 1981 to a middle-class Indian family, hailing from a very small town of Ranchi (India). He made a name for himself in the most amazing and unbelievable way. Dhoni dared to dream and with courage and guts made that dream a reality!

 

Dhoni started his career as a Ticket Collector in the Indian Railways. His hard work and never-give-up spirit finally landed him in International Cricket.

 

Dhoni was made the captain of the ODI team in 2007 and the Test team in 2008. In 2009, he scored 1198 runs in 24 innings at an average of 70.43 to be the highest scorer of the year in ODI’s. He has also been awarded the "Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna", which is the highest sports honor given by the government of India and was awarded as the ICC player of the year, two years in a row.

 

In June 2013, he was reported to be the 16th highest paid sportsman in the world with yearly earnings of $31 million.

 

In reflection, Dhoni is the most successful captain that India has ever had. He led India to 27 Test-match victories in 60 Tests and 107 one day international wins in 194 ODIs as a captain. He captained 70 T20 matches and had 40 wins in his account. And is one among three people in the world to have captained their teams for more than 300 ODIs.

 

On 4th January 2017, Dhoni resigned as captain of India’s limited-overs teams ahead of the ODIs and T20Is against England. He took the decision in order to give the younger players a chance to lead the nation to the next level.

 

On 15th August 2020 (India's 74th independence), Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket. The entire cricket fraternity was left stunned and the reason remains to be one of the great mysteries cricket fans across the globe are curious about.

 

When cricketers announce their retirement, the immediate focus is usually on their performances on the field over a career. The number of runs they scored or the wickets they took, their memorable knocks or spells, and their overall stats in general. However, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, it’s been different.

 

Sure, all the trophies he won will remain a big part of his legacy. However, the individual numbers he stacked up as a cricketer hasn’t been the center of attention. He has a staggering record, but that also isn’t the main storyline.

 

Since the moment he called time on his international career, the tributes focused largely on Dhoni, the person. He did such great things with his craft, yet people can’t help but highlight his character, his decisions, his comments, his silences, the raw emotions he triggered among people.

 

The successes came thick and fast for Dhoni, both as a player and captain. He also played a crucial role during the transitional phase for Indian cricket. India came to take the position of No.1 in test ranking during his captaincy. Not only was India getting used to being a global powerhouse, but it was also seeing the old guard make way for the new one.

 

Dhoni came as a breath of fresh air in Indian cricket. Instantly, there was so much to like about him. The fact that he was a natural ball-striker, he was fearless, he provided the batting lineup an edge and most importantly, what resonated with masses was the success story of a small-town kid.

 

Dhoni worked his way to the top, with his swagger intact, despite hailing from Ranchi, a city in a state that hardly had any footing in Indian cricket back then. He was worth rooting for right away.

 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's life journey towards the world of successful international cricket career had not been an easy one. Nonetheless, his struggle can definitely inspire any budding cricket fan. His success is an example in itself and his story is an inspiration to many.

 

Dhoni's success story is proof that a person with a very humble beginning can make it so big with solid determination and sheer hard work! He'll definitely be remembered as one of the most successful Indian captains in the history of sports.