Introduction

Captain Cool just turned 39. Irrespective of the age bracket we fall in, don’t we all love the legend?  Don’t we all agree to the fact that Dhoni is not just a player, but he is a feeling. He is a symbol of Hope and Possibility for all the youngsters dreaming big. The people often address the legend as ‘Captain Cool’ for his calm temperament. Dhoni is extremely talented, smart, hard working. In addition, he does not melt even under pressure and has great leadership skills. Interestingly, Dhoni is the the most admired Indian after Prime Minster, Narendra Modi

Background

Dhoni was born on July 7, 1981 in Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand). He was born to Pan Singh and Devika Devi. He has a sister Jayanti and a brother Narendra Singh Dhoni. Captain Cool turns 39 today!

Originally, his family belonged to village Lvali in the Lam garha block of Almora district of Uttarakhand.

Tracing the Legend’s journey

Dhoni was playing for Jharkhand at a match in Jamshedpur 2003. TRDO Prakash Poddar spotted him during that time. Poddar, then sent a report to the National Cricket Academy. Dhoni was recognized for his efforts in the best wicket-keeping in the 2003-2004 season especially in the one day format, and he was picked for the Indian ‘A’ squad for a tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya.

He was then selected to play in the Indian Cricket team, after making a mark in India ‘A’ squad and in 2004, where he made his ODI Debut against Bangladesh in Chittagong.

Personal life

Dhoni dated a few gorgeous and hot shot women from the ‘Tinsel Town’ and outside.

• First, Dhoni dated Priyanka Jha, but, sadly, she passed away in a tragic accident in 2006.
• Second, Deepika Padukone: he had a soft corner for the dimpled beauty.
• Third, Baai Laxmi: she is a beautiful south Indian actress and he was absolutely love smitten for her.
• Fourth, Asin: they met through an advertisement for a big fashion brand.
• Next, Preeti Simoes: she was really close to Dhoni at some point.
• Finally, he settled for Sakshi.

Dhoni and Sakshi were known to each other from their school days as they both were students of DAV Shyamali School in Ranchi and their families also knew each other very well. However, after some time, Sakshi and her parents shifted to Dehradun.

Sakshi has completed her bachelor’s in Hotel Management from the Institute of Hotel Management in Aurangabad. She was undergoing her training in Taj when she again met Dhoni. India v/s Pakistan match was due to be played in Eden Gardens and both the teams were staying at Taj.

MSD’s manager Yudhajit Dutta played a very crucial part in setting up the match, as it was he who arranged the meeting between Dhoni and Sakshi. Dhoni got Sakshi’s number from Yudhajit and started sending her message. From March 2008, the duo started dating and it was on 4^th July, 2010 that the couple got married.

Captain cool’s most prized possessions

He is a proud owner of some very High-End cars, SUV’s and motorcycles. As the captain cool turns 39 today, allow us to give you a tour of his collection of wheels.

Cars

• Hummer H2
• Audi Q7
• Mitsubishi Pajero SFX
• Land Rover Freelander 2
• Mahindra Scorpio
• Ferrari 599 GTO
• Mercedes-Benz GLE
• GMC Sierra
• Latest add-ons!
• Nissan Jonga
• Jeep Grand Cherokee

Bikes

• Confederate Hellcat X132
• Kawasaki Ninja H2
• Kawasaki Ninja ZX14R
• Harley Davidson Fatboy
• Yamaha Thundercat
• Ducati 1098
• Norton Jubilee 250

Interesting facts about our Captain Cool

• First, he was run out at zero in his first match.
• Second, Dhoni debuted at the age of 18 for Ranji trophy 1999-2000, Bihar.
• Third, he was spotted at a small town talent event.
• Fourth, he played his hands at Football as a goalkeeper and also dabbled with Badminton.
• Next, The ‘Helicopter Shot’ became his trademark shot, which was taught to him by former cricketer Santhosh Lal.
• In 2011, The Indian territorial army conferred him with honorary rank of Lt. Colonel.
• He owns a super-sport world champion team called ‘ Mahi racing team India’.
• Also,the East zone team which won the Deodar Trophy in the year 2004, rejected Dhoni at first saying he had an unconventional playing style.
• Interestingly, Dhoni used to get Rs 50 from his coach Deval Sahay for each six that he hit in the matches, while playing for the Central Coal Fields Limited in the Sheesh Mahal tournament.
• In 2012, Sports-pro rated Dhoni as the 16^th most marketable athlete in the world. In June 2015, Forbes ranked him at 23^rd in the list of highest paid athletes in the world.
• Furthermore, the legend launched a lifestyle brand Seven in February 2016, wherein, he owns the footwear side of the brand and is also the brand ambassador of Seven.
• Next, In 2014, he announced his retirement from the Test cricket after his Test captaincy came under severe criticism, especially after continuous losses overseas.
• In addition, he also worked as a Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) from 2001-2003, at the Kharagpur railway station under South Eastern railway in Midnapore, a district in West Bengal.
• Finally, Dhoni is the only captain in the cricket world to win all 3 ICC trophies- 2007 World T20, 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.

National honors

• 2018: Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award.^[191]
• 2009: Padma shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award.
• 2007−08: Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest honor given for achievement in sports.

Sporting honors

• ICC ODI player of the year: 2008, 2009
• Castrol Indian cricketer of the year: 2011
• ICC World ODI XI: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (captain in 2009, 2011-2014)
• ICC World Test XI: 2009, 2010, 2013

Other honors and awards

• MTV Youth Icon of the year: 2006
• LG People’s Choice Award: 2013
• Honorary doctorate degree by  De Montford University in August 2011

Conclusion

To conclude, what Dhoni leaves behind is a rich legacy that is peppered with memorable wins, stunning surprises and some characteristic moments only he can stake a claim to. He is the man who mastered the art of donning many hats for team India leaving behind cricketers like Tendulkar and Ganguly.

Captain Cool turns 39 and we thank him for his power packed performances and the love he has given to the nation as a captain.

HIb visa suspend on students and employees

Inflation: a boon or bane