Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also known as MS Dhoni, is one of India's most loved cricketers. He was born on July 7, 1981, and today he turns 44 years old. Fans across the world are celebrating the birthday of the man they call "Captain Cool".
Dhoni is renowned for his calm demeanour and astute captaincy. He led India to numerous significant victories, including the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. He also helped Chennai Super Kings win five IPL titles.
Over the years, Dhoni has received many awards. These include the Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna. He was also named ICC ODI Player of the Year twice.
So, how many awards has MS Dhoni won in total? In this article, we'll take a closer look at his achievements, honours, and the legacy he has built over the years.
Who is MS Dhoni? Check Education, Career Statistics and Other Details
Source: Midday
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (born July 7, 1981) is an Indian cricketer known for his roles as a right-handed batter and wicketkeeper.
He is widely celebrated as one of the finest wicket-keeper batters and captains in cricket history, particularly in the ODI format. Dhoni led the Indian national team in limited-overs cricket from 2007 to 2017 and in Test matches from 2008 to 2014.
Under his captaincy, India achieved remarkable success, including winning the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, the 2011 Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy—making him the only captain to win all three major ICC white-ball trophies.
He also guided India to Asia Cup victories in 2010 and 2016 and was part of the title-winning squad in 2018. Dhoni holds the record for captaining the most international matches and is regarded as India's most successful cricket captain.
Early Life and Education
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born on 7 July 1981 in Ranchi, which was then part of Bihar and is now in Jharkhand. He comes from a Hindu Rajput family. His parents, Pan Singh and Devaki Devi, originally belonged to Lwali village in present-day Uttarakhand.
Dhoni is the youngest of three siblings. Interestingly, the correct family surname is "Dhauni", but a clerical error in his school documents changed it to "Dhoni"—a spelling that has persisted despite numerous attempts to correct it.
Dhoni began his sports journey as a goalkeeper in football during his school days at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir. On his coach's advice, he switched to cricket, and the rest is history.
He made his first-class debut for Bihar in 1999, and his international debut came in 2004 in an ODI against Bangladesh. He played his first Test match in 2005 and became India's ODI captain in 2007, leading the team across all formats by 2008.
He retired from Test cricket in 2014 and limited-overs cricket in 2019, finishing with 17,266 international runs, including over 10,000 in ODIs at an average above 50.
From 2001 to 2003, Dhoni worked as a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) at Kharagpur railway station—a humble beginning for a future cricketing legend.
Career Statistics (As Captain)
Span | Matches | Innings | Not Outs | Runs | High Score | Average | Balls Faced | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
2007–2018 | 332 | 330 | 91 | 11,207 | 224 | 46.89 | 14,583 | 76.84 | 11 | 71 |
How Many Awards Has MS Dhoni Won?
MS Dhoni has won numerous accolades, such as:
National Honours
Award Name | Year | Description |
Padma Bhushan | 2018 | India's third-highest civilian award for distinguished service in sports |
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna | 2008 | India's highest sporting honour for outstanding achievement |
Padma Shri | 2009 | India's fourth-highest civilian award for contribution to cricket |
ICC Awards
Award Name | Year(s) | Description |
ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade | 2011–2020 | For exemplary sportsmanship |
ICC Men's T20I Team of the Decade | 2011–2020 | Named as captain and wicket-keeper |
ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year | 2006, 2008–2014 | Served as captain for multiple years |
ICC ODI Player of the Year | 2008, 2009 | First player to win the award twice |
Other Recognitions
Award Name | Year | Description |
LG People's Choice Award | 2013 | Voted by fans for popularity and impact |
Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year | 2011 | For exceptional performance |
CNN-News18 Indian of the Year | 2011 | Honoured for significant national impact |
MTV Youth Icon of the Year | 2006 | Celebrated as a youth icon |
Honorary Titles & Degrees
Title/Recognition | Year | Given By/For |
Honorary Doctorate | 2011 | De Montfort University for contributions to cricket |
Honorary Lieutenant Colonel | 2011 | Indian Territorial Army for patriotism |
Team Achievements Under Captaincy
Tournament | Year(s) | Achievement |
ICC T20 World Cup | 2007 | Won inaugural tournament |
ICC Cricket World Cup | 2011 | Ended India's 28-year World Cup wait |
ICC Champions Trophy | 2013 | The only captain to win all three ICC white-ball trophies |
Asia Cup | 2010, 2016 | Guided India to regional dominance |
IPL (Chennai Super Kings) | 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023 | Multiple title wins under Dhoni's leadership |
Champions League T20 | 2010, 2014 | International club-level success |
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India's most iconic and successful cricket captain, was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame on Monday at a glittering ceremony in London.
The ICC Hall of Fame celebrates the extraordinary achievements of cricketing legends who have shaped the sport's vibrant history. Players are eligible for induction only five years after their final international appearance.
From lifting India's first T20 World Cup in 2007 with a young, untested squad to guiding the Men in Blue to a historic 2011 ODI World Cup win at home and adding the Champions Trophy in 2013, Dhoni remains the only captain in cricket history to win all three ICC white-ball trophies. His leadership brought calm to chaos, turning pressure into opportunity and dreams into triumphs.
Beyond captaincy, Dhoni redefined the role of a finisher in ODIs. His unbeaten 183* against Sri Lanka in 2005 remains the highest score by a wicketkeeper in the format. With over 10,000 ODI runs at an astonishing average of 50.57, his legacy with the bat is as impactful as it is enduring.
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