DHONI'S TEST CAREER

Following his good one-day form against Sri Lanka, Dhoni replaced Dinesh Karthik in December 2005 as the Indian Test wicket-keeper.[43] Dhoni scored 30 runs in his debut match that was marred by rain. Dhoni came to the crease when the team was struggling at 109/5 and as wickets kept falling around him, he played an aggressive innings and was the last man dismissed. Dhoni made his maiden half-century in the second Test and his quick scoring rate (half century came off 51 balls) aided India to set a target of 436 and the Sri Lankans were bowled out for 247.
India toured Pakistan in January/February 2006 and Dhoni scored his maiden century in the second Test at Faisalabad. India were left in a tight spot as Dhoni was joined by Irfan Pathan with the team still 107 away from avoiding follow-on. Dhoni played his typical aggressive innings as he scored his maiden test century in just 93 balls after scoring his first fifty in just 34 deliveries.

Dhoni followed his maiden test century with some prosaic batting performances over the next three matches, one against Pakistan that India lost and two against England that had India holding a 1-0 lead going into the test match. Dhoni was the top scorer in India's first innings in the third test at Wankhede Stadium as his 64 aided India post a respectable 279 in reply to England's 400. However Dhoni and the Indian fielders dropped too many catches and missed many dismissal chances including a key stumping opportunity of Andrew Flintoff (14). Dhoni failed to collect the Harbhajan Singh delivery cleanly as Flintoff went on to make 36 more runs as England set a target of 313 for the home team, a target that India were never in the reckoning. A batting collapse saw the team being dismissed for 100 and Dhoni scored just 5 runs and faced criticism for his wicket-keeping lapses as well as his shot selections.
On the West Indies tour, Dhoni scored a quick and aggressive 69 in the first Test at Antigua. The rest of the series was unremarkable for Dhoni as he scored 99 runs in the remaining 6 innings but his wicket-keeping skills improved and Dhoni finished the series with 13 catches and 4 stumpings. In the test series in South Africa, Dhoni's scores of 34 and 47 were not sufficient to save the second test against the Proteas as India lost the test series 2-1, squandering the chance to build on their first ever Test victory in South Africa (achieved in the first Test match). Dhoni's bruised hands ruled him out of the third test match.


.....................................Dhoni... The Great

DHONI'S ODI CAREER

The Indian team in the 2000s saw the use of Rahul Dravid as the wicket-keeper to ensure that the wicket-keeper spot didn't lack in batting talent.[22] The Indian cricket establishment also saw the entry of wicket-keeper/batsmen from the junior ranks with talents like Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik - both India U-19 Captains in the test squads.[22] With Dhoni making a mark in the India-A squad, he was picked in the ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour in 2004/05.[24] Dhoni did not have a great start to his ODI career, getting run out for a duck on debut.[25] In spite of an average series against Bangladesh, Dhoni was picked for the Pakistan ODI series.[26] In the second match of the series, Dhoni in his fifth one-day international, scored 148 in Vishakapatnam off only 123 deliveries. Dhoni's 148 erased the earlier record for the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper,[27] a record that he would re-write before the end of the year.
Dhoni had few batting opportunities in the first two games of the Sri Lankan bilateral ODI series (October-November 2005) and was promoted to No. 3 in the third ODI at Sawai Mansingh Stadium (Jaipur). Sri Lanka had set India a target of 299 after a Kumar Sangakkara century and in reply. India lost Tendulkar early. Dhoni was promoted to accelerate the scoring and ended the game with an unbeaten 183 off 145 balls, winning the game for India[28] - an innings described in Wisden Almanack (2006) as 'Uninhibited, yet anything but crude'.[29] The innings set various records including the highest score in ODI cricket in the second innings,[30] a record that still stands. Dhoni ended the series with the highest run aggregate (346)[31] and was awarded the Man of the series award for his efforts. In December 2005, Dhoni was signed by BCCI to a B-grade contract, skipping the initial C-grade level due to his performance on the cricketing field.

India scored 328 in 50 overs with Dhoni contributing 68 in their first match of 2006 against Pakistan. However the team finished poorly, scoring just 43 runs in the last eight overs and lost the match due to Duckworth-Lewis method. In the third match of the series, Dhoni came in with India in a precarious situation and scored 72 runs off just 46 balls that included 13 boundaries to help India take a 2-1 lead in the series. The final match of the series had a repeat performance as Dhoni scored 77 runs off 56 balls to enable India win the series 4-1. In recognition of his consistent ODI performances, Dhoni overtook Ricky Ponting as number one in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen on April 20, 2006.His reign lasted just a week as Adam Gilchrist's performance against Bangladesh moved him to the top spot.
Two canceled series in Sri Lanka, one due to the withdrawal of South Africa from the Unitech Cup due to security concerns and the replacement 3-match ODI bilateral series against Sri Lanka washed due to rain, was India's prelude to another disappointing tournament - DLF Cup 2006-07. Dhoni scored 43 runs as the team lost twice in three games and did not qualify for the finals. India's lack of preparation showed in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy as they lost to West Indies and Australia, though Dhoni scored an half-century against West Indies. The story of the ODI series in South Africa was the same for both Dhoni and India as Dhoni scored 139 runs in 4 matches and India lost the series 4-0. From the start of the WI ODI series, Dhoni had played 16 matches, hit just two fifties and averaged 25.93. Dhoni received criticism on his wicket keeping technique from former wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani.
Preparations for the 2007 Cricket World Cup improved as India recorded identical 3-1 victories over West Indies and Sri Lanka and Dhoni had averages in excess of 100 in both these series. However, India unexpectedly crashed out the World Cup after losses to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Dhoni was out for a duck in both these matches and scored 29 runs in the whole tournament. Dhoni put behind his disappointment in the World cup by scoring 91* against Bangladesh after India were left in a tight spot earlier in the run-chase. Dhoni was declared the man of the match for his performance, his fourth in ODI cricket. He was also later adjudged the man of the series after the third game of the series was washed away. Dhoni had a good Afro-Asia Cup, getting 174 runs in 3 matches at an average of 87.00, with a blitzkrieg 139 not out of 97 balls, a Man Of The Match innings, in the 3rd ODI.
Dhoni was nominated as the vice-captain of the ODI team for the series against South Africa in Ireland and the subsequent India-England 7-match ODI series.[6] Dhoni, who received a 'B' grade contract in December 2005, was awarded an 'A' grade contract in June 2007. And also he was elected as captain of Indian Twenty-20 Cricket Team for the World Twenty20 in September 2007. On 2 September 2007 Mahendra Singh Dhoni equalled his idol Adam Gilchrist's international record for the most dismissals in an innings in ODI by catching 5 English players and stumping one.[42] He led India to the ICC World Twenty 20 trophy in South Africa with a victory over arch rivals Pakistan in an intensely fought final on 24 September 2007, and became the second Indian captain to have won a World cup in any form of cricket, after Kapil Dev.


....................Dhoni... The Dynamite Dhamaka.

DHONI PRACTISING

...................................Dhoni practising...



.............Dhoni with his buddy Yuvi.


Mahendra Singh Dhoni Achievements

Awards

13/02/2006: Becomes the man of the match against Pakistan at Gadaffi Stadium for an unbeaten 72 runs.

31/10/2005: Man of the match against Sri Lanka for scoring his highest ever unbeaten 183 runs at Sawai Mansingh Stadium

05/04/2005: Receives his first man of the match award against Pakistan at AC-VDCA Stadium for scoring 148 runs



..................Dhoni... The Cool Guy.



Dhoni's Ranking in ICC

20/04/2006: Moves to the top at no. 1 postion on LG's ICC ODI player rankings

16/04/2006: Ranked at no. 2 position on LG's ICC ODI player rankings


.....................................Yuvi & Dhoni

POWERFUL STRIKER-DHONI

Dhoni "A Powerful Striker of Ball"

Dhoni is an aggressive right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. Dhoni is one of the number of wicket-keepers who have come through the ranks of junior and India A cricket teams to represent the national team — Parthiv Patel, Ajay Ratra and Dinesh Karthik also followed this route. Dhoni, referred to as 'Mahi' by his friends, debuted in the Bihar cricket team during the 1998/99 cricket season and was selected to represent India-A for a tour to Kenya in 2004. Along with Gautam Gambhir, Dhoni made multiple centuries against the Pakistan-A team in a tri-nation series and was selected in the Indian national team later in that year.Dhoni tends to play mostly from the back foot with a pronounced bottom hand grip.He has a very fast hand speed through the ball which often results in the ball racing across the ground. From this initial stance his feets do not show much movement which sometimes results in chasing balls while not coming to the pitch of the ball or inside edging a lot of balls.Dhoni scored 148 against Pakistan in his fifth ODI match in 2005 — then the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper. Later in the year, he broke his own record as well as set the current world record for the highest score in the second innings in ODI matches as he scored 183* against Sri Lanka. Dhoni's success in the limited overs format secured him a place in the test team. Consistent performances in ODI cricket through the end of the 2005/06 season saw Dhoni briefly ranked as the No. 1 batsman in the ICC ODI ratings
Dhoni's form dipped through 2006 as India lost matches at the ICC Champions trophy, DLF Cup, away bilateral series against West Indies and South Africa. A return to form in the home series against West Indies and SriLanka in early 2007 proved to be an inaccurate indicator of Dhoni's form as India crashed out of the first round in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Dhoni was out for a duck in both India's losses. After the World Cup, Dhoni won the Man of the series award in the bilateral ODI tournament against Bangladesh. For the tour of England, Dhoni was named the ODI team vice-captain.
As a batsman, Dhoni has shown the maturity to restrain his aggressive nature and play a responsible innings when the situation requires. Apart from traditional shots, Dhoni has two very unorthodox but effective cricket strokes. Since his entry into the Indian cricket team, Dhoni's aggressive batting style, success on the field, personality, and long hair have made him one of the most marketable cricketers in India.


He rarely bowls in matches...

FOR ALL DHONI FANS

Mahindra Singh Dhoni recieving the ICC T20 WorldCup Trophy

Name: MS Dhoni
Country: India
Full name:Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Born: July 7, 1981, Ranchi, Bihar
Current Age: 25 years
Major teams:India, Jharkhand.
Batting style:Right-hand bat
Bowling style:Right-arm medium
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper
Test debut:India v Sri Lanka at Chennai - Dec 2-6, 2005
ODI debut: Bangladesh v India at Chittagong (MAA) - Dec 23, 2004
His hobbies and interests include:Hearing music, ghazals and songs by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore KumarLoves to ride bikesEnjoys playing computer games and badminton

Special qualities:Thinks positive,Highly confident about himself,Is aggressive on the field

His Idol:Adam Gilchrist

Sreesanth likely to become Kerala captain

Kochi: India speedster S Sreesanth, who was left out of the national team for the Champions Trophy to be held in South Africa, is likely to be appointed captain of the Kerala Ranji Trophy team for the coming season.

Even though selection of the team as well as the captain rests entirely with the state selection committee, Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has expressed desire that Sreesanth may be given the chance to lead the state, KCA sources said.

The coaching camp for the Ranji Trophy team will begin on Thursday and would be held at Kothamangalam, in Ernakulam district, where the first Regional Cricket Coaching Academy was inaugurated recently.

After the two-week long coaching camp, the captain for the coming Ranji season will be announced. About 36 players, including some under-19 players, have been chosen for the camp.

The under-19 players have been included with a view to giving them exposure.

KCA has embarked on a project, 'Mission 2020' envisaging the state moving up from Plate to Elite group and ultimately winning the Ranji Trophy, sources said.

WORLD CUP-2011 LAUNCHED WITH FANFARE

World Cup 2011 launched with fanfare

The 2011 World Cup, to be hosted in the sub-continent, was launched on Tuesday in Mumbai with all the fanfare by the International Cricket Council (ICC) with a member each from most of the previous winners present along with ICC Vice-President Haroon Lorgat.