DHONI PROFILE

Full Name: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Born: July 7, 1981, Ranchi, Bihar
Major teams: India, Jharkhand
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Fielding Position: Wicketkeeper

Achievements:Highest score by a wicketkeeper in ODIs (183 not out); highest number of sixes (10) in an ODI innings by a wicketkeeper (most by an Indian); highest batting average for a wicketkeeper

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the new poster boy of Indian cricket. With his long mane and swashbuckling batting style, Dhoni has the whole country drooling over him at this moment.

Dhoni got his big break in the Indian team courtesy his exploits against Pakistan A, in the triangular tournament in Kenya, where he destroyed bowling attacks with disdain. After making his one-day international debut against Bangladesh in Chittagong in December 2004 Dhoni remained subdued in the first four matches he played.

It was his fifth one-dayer, against Pakistan at Vishakapatnam, which heralded MS Dhoni's arrival at the big stage when the dashing wicket keeper cracked a dazzling 148 from just 123 balls. Dhoni followed it with another cracker of an innings against Sri Lanka on 31 October 2005, when he clobbered his way to a mammoth 183 off just 145 balls, thus breaking Adam Gilchrist's record for the highest score by a wicketkeeper in ODIs

During this blitzkrieg, Dhoni also broke Saeed Anwar's record of most runs scored off boundaries by scoring a total of 120 runs off 4s and 6s eclipsing the previous record of 118.

Riding on the good showing in the One-Dayers, Dhoni made his Test debut against Sri Lanka and in only his fifth Test, scored his maiden century to help India avoid follow-on against Pakistan. Ever since, Dhoni has been a crucial member of the Indian side.