MS Dhoni Bio: Wife, World Cup, Army & Net Worth

In a cricketing world, when a discussion of a successful captain comes, one name instantly pops up that’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

He has arguably won it all every captain dreams of. In 2011, he ended India’s 28years World Cup drought leading the team to glory at home. 

Likewise, he remains the only captain to win three ICC limited over trophies; the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions trophy. 

Dhoni has won multiple awards and has set many records as wicketkeeper and captain. 

Although he has retired from international cricket, he still contributes to the team by working as a mentor. 

In domestic cricket, he is the skipper of Indian Premier League team Chennai Super Kings. Under his captaincy, the team won four IPL titles. 

He is the second richest Indian cricketer with an estimated net worth of INR 1090 crore. 

To know more about Dhoni’s professional, business, and personal life, stay with us. But let’s look at quick facts before going in-depth. 

Quicks Facts

MS Dhoni | Childhood and Early Years

MSD was born on 7th July 1981 in Ranchi, Jharkhand, to his father, Pan Singh, and mother, Devaki Devi. 

He comes from a Hindu Rajput family, and Bhojpuri is his mother tongue. His parental village is Lwali, Jainti tehsil, Uttarkhand but their parents moved to Ranchi.

Dhoni’s father worked in MECON as a junior manager, and his mother was a housewife. He also has older siblings, brother Narendra Dhoni and Jayanti Pandey. 

His brother Narendra has been a politician and has been a member of the Samajwadi since 2013. Likewise, his sister gained a lot of popularity after releasing Dhoni’s biopic in 2016. 

She was the one who encouraged and inspired Dhoni to pursue his dream of becoming a professional cricketer. 

During his childhood, he idolized Adam Gilchrist and Sachin Tendulkar. He also had their posters on his room wall. 

In schooldays, he first played as a goalkeeper for his school team. Later, one day, cricket coach KR Banjeree noticed him and asked him to try out as a wicketkeeper. 

Although Dhoni had not played cricket before, he impressed everyone with his wicketkeeping and became Commando cricket club’s regular wicketkeeper. 

MSD’s fantastic performance earned him a place in the Vinoo Mankad U-16 championship in 1997/98.

Later Dhoni made it to the Bihar cricket team squad for the 2001-02 Ranji Trophy team. He finished his first year with 283 runs in over five matches. 

Traveling Ticket Examiner

Late Animesh Ganguly, former South Eastern Railways Divisional Railway Manager, was searching for Traveling Ticket Examiner and cricketer for his SER team. 

His search led him to MS Dhoni, and with the help of his childhood friend Satyaprakash Krishna Ganguly recruited him. 

He is remembered as an honest and straightforward Indian railway employee by his colleagues.

Alongside long hours checking tickets at the station, he made his name in ‘Khep’ tennis ball cricket. He played for many top clubs of the region earning INR two thousand per match. 

They covered their body with white bedsheets and roamed around the complex. The next day, the story became hot news.  Dhoni worked at South Eastern Railway from 2001 to 2003. 

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MS Dhoni | Professional Career

ODI

MS Dhoni’s fantastic performance in 2003/04 season domestic season earned him a place in India A team.

Later, he made his ODI debut against Bangladesh. But, unfortunately, in his debut match, he got out for a duck. 

Dhoni scored a century (148 runs) against Pakistan in the next series. Moreover, his 148 became the highest run scored by an Indian wicketkeeper. 

In the 2007 World Cup, India did not qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup, losing against Bangladesh and Srilanka. 

After his disappointing World Cup, JMM political activists vandalized his on-construction Ranchi house. Local police also arranged security for his family members. 

However, in the same year, he was elected as India’s team captain.

 In 2009, Dhoni performed exceptionally with his bat. In just 24 innings, he scored 1198 runs with a 70.43 runs average. 

World Champion

In the 2011 World Cup, Dhoni captained Team India to World Cup glory ending the nation 28 years of drought. 

On the road to the final, he didn’t contribute significantly with his bat. However, in the final against Sri Lanka, he delivered when the team needed him the most. 

He entered the pitch when India was 114/3. Later, he scored 91 runs in 79 balls with eight fours and two sixes as India chased 275 runs.

In 2013, Dhoni wrote his name in the history book after winning all three central ICC limited over tournaments.  

Later, in the 2015 World Cup, Dhoni created history, becoming the first Indian captain to win all the matches in the group stage. 

Team India won against Bangladesh in the quarterfinals and became the third captain to win 100 ODI games. 

Ending Years

In January 2017, Dhoni stepped down as India limited over captain ahead of the home ODI series against England. 

In August, Dhoni became the first wicketkeeper to record 100 stumpings. Later, in 2018 he reached another milestone, recording 400 dismissals. 

Likewise, in the second ODI match against England, he reached 10,000 ODI runs, becoming the eleventh batsman. 

However, his poor performance followed him in the 2018 Asia Cup, scoring 77 runs in four innings. 

Dhoni was included in the India squad for the 2019 World Cup. He played his 350th ODI match in a semis loss against New Zealand. 

Test & Injury

MS made his test debut against Sri Lanka in December 2005 following his excellent performance in ODI. 

In his second test only, he scored his maiden half-century in just 51 deliveries. Later, in January/February 2005, when India toured Pakistan, he scored his maiden century. 

In the 2006 season, he could not perform well with his bat. But after taking captaincy in 2007, he led the team to a golden run. His winning streak included a win against Australia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. 

However, post-2011 World Cup media, analysts, and fans criticized his test captaincy after losing continuously overseas.

Especially in 2014 when the team lost three successive tests against England. But, he was one of few batsmen who countered England’s bowling attack, scoring multiple fifties.

Likewise, Dhoni also recorded nine dismissals and broke the record for most stumpings in international matches with 134. 

T20 International

In 2007, MS Dhoni got a chance to lead India to the first-ever T20 world cup. Later, he led them to the title with a victory against arch-rival Pakistan.

In 2014, he earned a place in the team of the tournament as captain and wicketkeeper. 

Later, in the 2021 ICC T20 world cup, he tied a deal with team India to work as their mentor.  

Dhoni played for Chennai Super Kings except for two seasons when CSK got banned from IPL. 

In 2013, Dhoni was arrested on spot-fixing charges. He describes that moment as the darkest period in his professional career. 

Retirement

On 15 August 2020, Dhoni retired from international cricket and made the announcement on Instagram on India’s 74th Independence day. He retired as captain to play most international matches with 332.

Talking about his awards, he is 2008 and 2009 ICC ODI Player of the year. He has also made it to eight ICC World XI. 

Likewise, Dhoni was named captain and wicketkeeper in the decade’s 2011-20 ICC Men’s ODI and T20 teams. 

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MS Dhoni | Personal Life

Wife and Parenthood

On 4th July 2021, MS Dhoni and his wife Sakshi Singh Rawat celebrated their eleventh anniversary. The two have known each other since childhood, as both of their fathers worked in MECON in Ranchi. 

Likewise, both of them went to the same school. But after a few years, Sakshi and her family shifted to Dehradun when she was just a kid. 

Later, they lost touch for many years, but fate changed their things around. After decades couple finally met each other when Team India was staying in Taj Bengal, Kolkata. 

After two years, the couple decided to marry. They decided to hold a private ceremony. 

So, they got engaged on 4th July 2010 at Hotel Competent, Dehradun. Later on the next day, the couple married at Vishranti Resort, Dehradun.

Dhoni and Sakshi only invited their closest friends and relatives. 

Five years after their marriage, their daughter Zica Dhoni was born on 6th February 2015 in Ranchi.

At her birth, he was on national duty for the Indian national team in Australia, preparing for World Cup. 

Territorial Army

MS Dhoni is an Indian army enthusiast. During his childhood, he wanted to join the army and visit the army cantonments to look at the soldiers. 

Although he didn’t become a soldier, the Indian army presented him with an honorary rank in 2011 for his service as a cricketer. 

He holds honorary Lieutenant Colonel rank in the Indian Territorial Army Parachute Regiment (106 Para TA battalion). 

In 2015, Dhoni also became a qualified paratrooper. In Agra training camp, he completed five parachute training jumps from an Indian Army plane. 

Besides that, Dhoni also served with Territorial Army for two weeks in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Movie

On 30th September 2016, the biopic film MS Dhoni: The Untold Story was released. In the movie, Sushant Singh Rajput plays the role of Dhoni. 

The movie covers the journey of Dhoni from his childhood to lifting the 2011 Cricket World Cup as Indian captain. The film also documents his personal life. 

Soon after its release, it became a box office hit, grossing INR 220.5 crore worldwide.

MS Dhoni | Lifestyle

Hobbies

MS Dhoni is a massive fan of football. Long before playing cricket, he played as a goalkeeper for his school team. 

He supports the Manchester United club, and his favorite player is Cristiano Ronaldo. Dhoni is also seen playing football during charity matches multiple times. 

His impressive bike collections include Kawasaki Ninja H2, Harley Davidson Fatboy, Kawasaki Ninja ZX14R, BSA Goldstar, Ducati 1098, and Confederate Hellcat X32.

Likewise, some of the fantastic cars in his garage are Mercedes Benz GLE, Ferrari 599 GTO, Mahindra Scorpio, Audi Q7, LandRover Freelander 2, and Mistubhsi Pajero SFX. 

Fitness and Diet

Even at 40, MS Dhoni is still going strong. Thanks to his diet and fitness regime. 

Besides four hours of cricket practice, he likes to dedicate one to two hours to gym sessions. Running is his favorite cardio exercise as it helps to build stamina. 

Some of his favorite gym workouts are lunges, deadlifts, chest press, V grip/ lateral pull-down, and dumbell rowing/ curls.

In addition, he plays football and badminton to enhance his footwork and concentration. 

Dhoni is super strict about hydration and loves milk and dairy products rich in protein, vitamins, and necessary nutrients. He drinks five to seven liters of milk daily. 

Where does MS Dhoni live?

Dhoni resides on his 7 acres of farmhouse in Ranchi, which he named Kailashpati. He moved there in 2017. 

The cool features of his house are the gymnasium, swimming pool, a beautiful garden, and a massive lawn.

He mentions farmhouses being close to nature and wildlife is one of the main reasons behind staying there. 

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Business

Alongside being a successful cricketer, MS Dhoni is also a successful businessman. 

Dhoni turned his passion for fitness into business by establishing Sports Fit Pvt. Ltd. Currently, he has opened over 200 gyms inside the country. 

Likewise, in the future, he is planning to expand his gyms into international locations. 

He is the co-owner of the Indian Super League franchise club Chennaiyin FC. His team has already won two ISL titles.

He is also co-owner of the Hockey India League club Ranchi Rays, Ranchi based franchise. 

In 2016, he started his own lifestyle brand Seven, named after his iconic jersey number. He is also the brand ambassador of his brand.

After his retirement, Dhoni began taking an interest in framing. So, he began using his Ranchi 10 acres of the land farmhouse for farming. 

In 2019, Entertainment signed a long-term partnership with Banihay Asia.

Later, in the same year, his company documented a 2018 CSK IPL comeback web series, Roar of The Lion, featuring Dhoni himself in a leading role. 

Charity

In 2010, he started MS Dhoni Charity Foundation. Since then, he has been working with many NGOs helping many causes. 

In 2011. Dhoni’s world cup game-winning bat was sold for INR 83 lakhs in a charity event held in London.

Moreover, Guinness World Records mentioned his cricket bat as the most expensive in the world. Dhoni used the amount for the development of his wife’s charity organization, Sakshi Foundation. 

In 2015, his foundation raised £20,000 during Cricket of Heroes, the inaugural T20 fundraiser.

Later, he donated money to the Indian army as relief support for wounded and injured Indian soldiers. 

Furthermore, to support Covid 19 relief, Dhoni donated INR 1lakh to the Pune-based Mukul Madhav Foundation. 

MS Dhoni | Endorsement and Salary

Endorsement

MS Dhoni is one of the most endorsed cricketers in the world. In 2020, Dhoni collaborated with Chinese mobile company Oppo. They also launched a special edition smartphone with the signature of Captain Cool himself. 

Before the 2020 IPL season, he became the Indian brand ambassador of the online casino game Poker Stars. 

In 2019, Indian Terrain, Cars 24, and RedBus appointed Dhoni as their brand ambassador. 

Similarly, the same year he tied a multi-year deal with WardWiz worth INR 15 crore. 

In 2013, Dhoni signed a bat deal with Amity University and Spartan Sports. As a deal, he uses the company’s logos in his bat. 

Currently, he earns INR 25 crore annually as a bat sponsorship deal with both companies. Previously, he had a bat deal with Reebok. 

Salary and Net Worth

MS Dhoni is the highest earner in IPL history. He has earned INR 150 crore throughout his IPL career. 

He earned INR 6 crore yearly in his first three seasons, followed by INR 8.2 crore in the next three seasons. 

Later, from 2014 to 2017, he made 12.5 crores yearly. Likewise, since 2018 he has been making INR 15 crore annually. 

The Indian-born has an estimated net worth of INR 826 crore. Moreover, he is the second-highest richest Indian cricketer. 

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Social Media Presence

Although MS Dhoni is not active on social media like most other celebrities globally, he still has a huge fan following on these platforms.

He has 36.1 million followers on  Instagram, 27 million followers on Facebook, and 8 million followers on Twitter.

In addition, it is reported that Dhoni charges INR 88 lakhs for each photo and INR 1.3 cores for each video to promote brands on his social media platforms. 

Interesting Facts

• MS Dhoni kept his hair long for two reasons; first, he is a huge fan and friend of John Abraham, and secondly, he considered it lucky. 
• His surname is ‘Dhauni,’ not Dhoni. However, he wrongly wrote his surname on school certificates. But he could not rectify it even after several requests. 
• During the 10th board exams, he got 65%.  
• He became the highest taxpayer athlete in India for three consecutive years in 2012, 2013, and 2014. 
• He has two pet dogs named Zarah and Sam.
• Dhoni’s childhood friend Santosh Lal taught him his signature Helicopter Shot. 
• In 2007, Sachin Tendulkar was the one who recommended Dhoni’s name to be India’s captain, and the rest is history. 
• Dhoni earned the nickname Thala for leading Chennai Superkings to multiple IPL titles. Thala means leader, so South people gave him a nickname as a sign of respect.  
• Likewise, his other famous nickname is Captain Cool for his calm and relaxed behavior in matches, even during pressure moments.
• Dhoni has also won the 2010 ad 2014 Champions League T20 championships with CSK. 
• Likewise, he receives India’s third and fourth highest civilian awards, Padma Bushan (2018) and Padma Shri (2009). 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the wealthiest Indian cricketer?

Sachin Tendulkar is the wealthiest Indian cricketer, with a net worth of INR 1100 crore. MS Dhoni follows him in second with INR 826 crore.

Will MS Dhoni play in the 2022 IPL season?

Dhoni hinted he would return to play in the 2022 IPL edition. In the interview, Dhoni mentioned he wants fans to attend his farewell match in the IPL.

However, Dhoni has told Chennai Super Kings owner N Srinivasan that he doesn’t want to be retained by the franchise. 

Is MS Dhoni: The Untold Story movie true?

The MS Dhoni: The Untold Story movie is based on the real life of former Indian skipper MS Dhoni. The film documents his childhood, professional career, and personal life.