Ranchi
—  metropolitan city  —
From Top clockwise: Ranchi from top of Pahari Mandir, Radisson Blu Hotel , Main Road, G.E.L. Church Complex, Ranchi as seen from Tagore Hill
Ranchi
Coordinates: 23°21′N 85°20′E / 23.35°N 85.33°E / 23.35; 85.33Coordinates: 23°21′N 85°20′E / 23.35°N 85.33°E / 23.35; 85.33
Country	India
Elevation	729 m (2,392 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	1,126,741
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	834xxx
Telephone code	0651

Ranchi /ˈrɑːntʃi/ ( Hindi (help·info)) is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Jharkhand accounts for 40% of the mineral resources of India. Earlier most of the part in Jharkhand was covered by forest but now due to urbanization trees are cut and forest cover is depleting fast. Since 2011 census Ranchi now is one of the 53 million-plus cities of India and stands as the 46th largest city out of top 53.^{[citation needed]}. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement^[1] for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Orissa, Western West Bengal and the present eastern Chhattisgarh. Jharkhand State was formed on 15 November 2000 by carving the Bihar divisions of Chota Nagpur and Santhal Parganas.

The name Ranchi comes from the original Oraon village Archi at the site.^[2] Archi derives from the Oraon word for bamboo grove or stave. According to legend, after an altercation with a spirit, a farmer beat the spirit with his bamboo stave or archi. The spirit shouted archi, archi, archi and vanished; Archi became Rachi, and Rachi became Ranchi.^[3]. One historically significant neighborhood is Doranda ('duran' 'दुरङ' means song and 'daah' 'दअः' means water in the Mundari language), between the Hinoo (Bhusur) & Harmoo Rivers, where the civil station, treasury and church established by the British Raj were destroyed by rebel forces during the Sepoy Mutiny.^[4] The present Purani (old) Ranchi marks the site of the old village of Archi.

Early history[link]

In ancient times the tract which corresponds to the district of Ranchi and the neighbouring parganas was in the undisturbed possession of Munda and Oraon tribes and was known to Aryans as Jharkhand or the 'forest territory'. The entire tract was presumably beyond the pale of the direct Hindu influence in ancient India. However, Jarasandha, the mighty emperor of Rajgriha in the Mahabharata period might have exercised some kind of loose supervision over the area. Similarly, Mahapadma Nanda of Magadha, who subdued the entire country up to Orrisa, might have gained some control over Jharkhand as well .

Possibly, the area was included in the Magadh Empire during the reign of Ashoka ( 273-232 B.C. ). With the decline of Mauryan power, King Kharavela of Kalinga led on army through Jharkhand and ransacked Rajgriha and Pataliputra. Later, Samudra Gupta (335-380 A.D.) must have passed through the area on his expedition to the Deccan.

Old Ranchi

Geography[link]

Ranchi is located at 23°21′N 85°20′E / 23.35°N 85.33°E / 23.35; 85.33.^[5] The total area covered by the Ranchi municipal area is 175.12 square kilometres and the average elevation of the city is 629 m above sea level.

Ranchi is located on the southern part of the Chota Nagpur plateau which forms the eastern edge of the Deccan plateau. Ranchi is referred to as the "City of Waterfalls", due to the presence of numerous large and small falls of around the close vicinity of the city. The most popular ones are Dassam Falls, Hundru Falls, Jonha Falls, Hirni Falls and Panchghagh Falls.

The Subarnarekha river and its tributaries constitute the local river system. Dams in Kanke, Rukka and Hatia have been built over these channels to cater to the water requirements of majority the population.

Ranchi has a hilly topography and its combination with dense tropical forests ensures that it enjoys a comparatively moderate climate compared to the rest of the state. Previously, it was accorded a 'hill station' status during the British rule. Rapid population growth and industrialization have caused considerable change in the weather pattern and rise in average temperatures. This has resulted in gradual loss of this "Hill Station" like status.

	Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, New Delhi	Gaya, Patna, Gorakhpur, Kathmandu	Bokaro, Dhanbad, Siliguri, Guwahati
	Bhopal, Indore, Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad		Kolkata, Dhaka, Aizawl
		Ranchi    East
	Raipur, Hyderabad, Solapur, Goa	Rourkela, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bengaluru, Chennai	Jamshedpur, Kharagpur, Bay of Bengal

Climate[link]

Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate.However, due to its position and the forests around the city, it is known for its pleasant climate. Its climate is the primary reason why Ranchi was once the summer capital of the undivided State of Bihar. Temperature ranges from maximum 42 to 20 °C during summer, and from 25 to 0 °C during winter.December and January are the coolest months with temperature getting to freezing point in some places of the city.The annual rainfall is about 1430 mm (56.34 inches). From June to September the rainfall is about 1,100 mm.

Demographics[link]

Ranchi Cityscape

As per latest 2011 India census,^[6] Ranchi has a population of 1,126,741. Males constitute 51.3% of the population and females 48.7%.Ranchi is the second most populous district of Jharkhand after dhanbad. Ranchi has an average literacy rate of 77.13%(census 2011), higher than the national average of 74.04%: male literacy is 85.63%, and female literacy is 68.2%. In Ranchi, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. Interestingly, as per the last Census it was found that the cases of Divorce in this State has increased manyfold. The city witnessed a sudden surge in population after the declaration of the new state of Jharkhand in 2000. Owing to the rising employment opportunities and opening of numerous regional and state level offices, banks, and FMCG companies, the city witnessed a rapid influx of employment seeking migrants. As per a study done by ASSOCHAM in late 2010, Ranchi was the highest employment generating Tier-III city in India with a share of 16.8%, followed by Mangalore and Mysore.^[7]

Transport[link]

City Roads

Doranda Flyover

Ranchi is well connected via Rail, Air and Road routes.

Railways[link]

Ranchi is now well connected with major cities of India via rail routes and most profitable station in South Eastern Railways. Ranchi Railway Station with station code RNC is main station of Ranchi. Apart from Ranchi station, there are few more stations in city namely, Hatia Station, Tatisilwai Station and Namkom Station. Many important trains start from Hatia station as well. 16 trains start, 16 trains end and 20 trains pass from Ranchi Railway station. It is well connected with metro and major cities of India like Bilaspur, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, Bangalore, Vishakhapatnam, Vijaywada, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Patna, Amritsar, Nagpur, Gorakhpur, Pune, Raipur, Cuttack, Puri, Rourkela, Durg, Ajmer, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Jammu, etc.

Airways[link]

Birsa Munda Airport of Ranchi has direct flights from Patna, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Major airlines like Kingfisher Airlines, Air India, Jet Lite, GoAir & Jet Airways serve this purpose. A new integrated terminal is being built in the existing old airport to accommodate the continuously growing air traffic volume from the city. The new terminal has a capacity of approx 500 domestic and 200 international passengers. The renovation of the airport is also carried out as it will be shortly upgraded to international status. The parking capacity of the airport is also being boosted. All major technical and comfort facilities are also being provided for proper flight operations during all time of the day and in all seasons. Birsa Munda airport will soon be added to the list of international airports. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has approved a Rs 138 crore revamp plan to upgrade the airport, which includes building of an international terminal.

Recently the annual Haj pilgrimage flights to Saudi Arabia has also started, serving the pilgrims from a temporary terminal. This service was aimed to reduce the burden on Kolkata Airport.

Roadways[link]

Main Road

NH 33 and NH 23 passes through Ranchi. Roads connecting major cities are providing movement for passenger and freight traffic. Buses of the Jharkhand State Road Transport Corporation and private buses ply regularly to connect Ranchi to the other parts of Jharkhand. Also, Bihar State Road Transport Corporation run regularly for major cities (Patna, Gaya etc.)of Bihar. Regular bus services are there to Kolkata and other towns of neighboring states. Private buses also ply regularly to Jamshedpur, Siwan, Begusarai, Rourkela, Dumka, Varanasi, Khagaul, Hajipur, Patna and Kolkata. Luxury Mercedes buses are also available from Ranchi to Gaya and Patna. A new ring road is under construction around the city to reduce the growing traffic overload on the city roads. Three Flyovers are coming up for smooth movement of traffic in busiest zones of the city. All major NH and other roads are being widened to 6 lanes or 8 lanes.

Bulk of the public transport constitute of auto rickshaw and cycle rickshaw. A city bus service under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission was started in 2010 to meet the demands of public transport. There are a total of 150 city buses operating in Ranchi. The Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation (JTDC) was given the responsibility of running the buses in Ranchi.

Healthcare[link]

Ranchi is the healthcare hub not only for the people of Jharkhand but also for people of nearby states. The hospitals in Ranchi, though many in number are mostly ill equipped in comparison with modern hospitals of the bigger cities in India. Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) is one of the biggest and oldest hospitals of Ranchi. Government Hospitals like the Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP) and RINPAS are famous throughout the country for Psychiatric treatment. Other hospitals in the city include Sadar Hospital, Rani Hospital and Orchid Medical Centre. Hospitals like Orchid Medical Centre have introduced world class healthcare services to the people of the state.

Orchid Medical Centre

Education[link]

Primary and secondary schools[link]

Ranchi is a regional hub for leading pre-schools, primary and secondary schools. Some of the best schools in eastern India are in Ranchi. Major schools include:-

Delhi Public School, Ranchi

Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, Ranchi

St,Charles School

• Delhi Public School, Ranchi
• DAV Kapildev Public School, Kadru, Ranchi
• St. Xavier's School, Doranda
• Kairali School, Ranchi
• Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali
• Vivekananda Vidya Mandir
• Oxford Public School
• Modern Public School, Tupudana.
• Army Public School Ranchi
• D.A.V Public School, Dhurwa
• Guru Nanak Higher Secondary School

Guru Nanak Hr Sec School, Ranchi

• Lala Lajpat Rai Senior Secondary School, Pundag.
• St.Francis School, Harmu
• St.Louis School, Harmu
• Surendranath Centenary School
• St. Anthony's School, Doranda
• St. Thomas School, Dhurwa
• St. Charles School, Hatia
• Taurian World School
• Sapphire International School
• Sarala Birla Public School
• St. Johns High School
• St. Aloysius High School
• St. Anne's Girls High School
• Ursuline Convent Girls High School
• Bishop Westcott Girls' School
• Bishop Westcott Boys' School
• Sacred Heart Convent
• Loreto Convent Doranda
• Bridgeford School Tupudana ranchi
• D.A.V Public School, Gandhinagar
• Cambrian Public School, Kanke Road
• Cambrian Public School, Rani Bagan Bariatu
• Cambridge School, Tatisilwai Ranchi
• International Public School, Kanke
• Central Academy, Kanke Road

XISS, Ranchi

• DAV Public School, Bariatu

IIM, Ranchi

• Kendriya Vidyalaya, Dipatoli

Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi

• Kendriya Vidyalaya, Hinoo, Doranda
• DAV Public School, Hehal
• St. Paul's School
• St. Thomas School
• St. Mary's School
• Holy Cross Girls High School, Purulia Road
• R.T.C High School, PHED Buti
• Ismailiya Urdu Momin Girls High School, Doranda, Ranchi
• Sri Doranda Balika Ucch Vidyalaya, Doranda, Ranchi
• S S Doranda Girls High School, Doranda, Ranchi

Colleges[link]

• St.Xavier College
• Gossner College
• Marwari College
• Ranchi College
• Women's College
• Nirmala College
• Yogada College
• Doranda College
• S.S.Memorial College
• St. Paul College
• JN College
• Maulana Azad Collage

All these and many more colleges are under the affiliation of Ranchi University.

Other important colleges and institutions[link]

National University of Study and Research in Law

• National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi (NUSRL)
• Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi (IIM-R)
• Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra
• National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT)
• Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS)
• Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi (CUJ, Ranchi)
• Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS)
• Birsa Agricultural University
• BIT,Lalpur Extension branch of BIT, Mesra-Management and MCA BCA Institute
• Central Institute of Psychiatry, Kanke
• Ranchi Institute of Neuro Psychiatry and Applied Sciences (RINPAS)

Sports[link]

Mega Sports Complex from top

Tennis Stadium

Hockey Stadium

International Cricket Stadium

Jharkhand always had a rich history in sports and Ranchi being its capital enhances it as centre for numerous sports activities- few of them are cricket, hockey, football and many other. Ranchi has hosted the 34th National Games in 2011 due to which it has adequate infrastructure for different sports. Ranchi has separate International level stadiums for different sports like athletics, hockey, football, lawn tennis, velodrome stadium, swimming, boxing, volleyball, shooting range etc. Government has planned to open a Sports University in Khelgaon, Ranchi. A world class cricket academy will be opened by Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni in Ranchi. An International Cricket stadium with an indoor stadium and a practice ground is under construction and is likely to host matches after clearance from the ICC "Ranchi Cricket Stadium". A Tennis Academy, which was inaugurated by Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik, also runs besides the Cricket stadium. Ranchi is also famous for being the hometown of World Cup winning Captain of Indian Cricket team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Media[link]

Hindi, Bengali, Urdu and English newspapers are published from the city, including Dainik Jagran, Ananda Bazar Patrika, Dainik Bhaskar, Hindustan, Prabhat Khabar, Ranchi Express, Sunmarg, The Times of India, The Pioneer, The Telegraph, The Hindustan Times, The Economic Times, etc.

TV programming is provided by regional news channels like Sahara Samay, ETV Bihar and Jharkhand, etc. There are several news channels like News 11, City News, Maurya TV, Taaza TV, Mahua News, etc. broadcast by local cable operators in city areas. Ranchi has a Doordarshan Kendra, which telecasts its own programs on National Network from 5 PM to 8 PM everyday.

Ranchi has the following FM radio stations: (Listed in increasing order of frequency)

• Radio Mantra : 91.9 FM
• Big FM : 92.7 FM
• Vividh Bharati (All India Radio) : 103.3 FM.
• Radio Dhoom : 104.8 FM
• Radio Dhamaal 106.4 FM

Festivals[link]

• Sarhul
• Christmas
• Durga Puja
• Deepawali
• Holi
• Chhath Puja
• Ram Navami
• id-ul fitr
• moharram
• Rakhi

Shopping centre and entertainment points[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Shopping Mall

Reliance Mart

Shopping Complex cum Hotel on Main Road

Ranchi is witnessing a boom in retail sector as there many malls functional in the city and many more are in the pipeline. Fast food giants like Dominos, Subway, KFC, Dosa Plaza, Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) have their counters functional in the city and others are also opening their outlets sooner. GEL Church complex and Roshpa Tower are shopping points with many retails outlets and restaurants. Hi Street Mall, Reliance Mart, Big Bazaar, Galaxia Mall, Bazaar Kolkata, Eastern Mall, Vishal Mega Mart, Reliance Fresh, Reliance Trends, Reliance Footprint, Spring City Mall are other shopping centres in Ranchi. Satya Paul Sarees and Gitanjali Lifestyle have already opened their outlets while Pantaloons and West Side are also coming up.

Ranchi has 4 multiplexes namely Eyelex-2 screens (Hinoo), Glitz Cinemas-3 screens (Hi Street Mall), Popcorn Cinemas-2 screens (Galaxia Mall), and Fun Cinemas-3 screens (Spring City Mall).

Industries[link]

Ispat bhavan (R&D SAIL Headquarter

Being the capital of a mineral rich state, Ranchi is proud to be the Head Quarters of multiple industrial and mining giants in India. It servers as the central office for Central Coalfields Limited(CCL), Heavy Engineering Corporation(HEC), Research and Development (R&D) of SAIL, MECON. CMPDI (Central Mine Planning and Design Institute) the design wing of Mahartna Company COAL INDIA LTD is located in Kanke road, Ranchi. There many private sector & multinational companies in Ranchi like Schenck Process India Limited(a 100% subsidiary of schenck process germany) Usha Martin, Abhijeet group,JSPL, Aditya Birla Group etc.

Tourist attractions[link]

• Rock garden & Kanke dam(Gonda hills): Gonda Hill and Rock Garden is situated at a distance of about 4 km from Ranchi town on Ranchi Kanke Road.Rock Garden is carved out of the rocks of Gonda Hill and resembles its design to rock garden of Jaipur. At the base of the Hill is Kanke Dam.

Hundru Fall.

• Hundru Falls:Hundru Fall is one of the most picturesque falls surrounding Ranchi. It is 45 km from Ranchi on Ranchi-Purulia Road. Here, the Subarnarekha river falls from a height of 320 feet. The pools at the bottom of the falls are favourite picnic and bathing spots.

Jonha Fall.

• Jonha Falls:Jonha Falls is also known as Gautamdhara, is around 40 km from Ranchi. It is approachable by both Road and train. The fall can be admired by descending around 500 steps. There is a tourist rest house which contains Lord Buddha temple. The river Kanchi flows nearby.
• Panchghagh Falls:Panchghagh falls is on Ranchi-Chakradharpur Road about 6 km from Khunti. This fall consists of five streams formed in a row due to the breaking up of the Banai river which falls from a good height. Cemented walkways connect the different cataracts, of which stream 2 is the most popular while 5 is the biggest, though a bit inaccessible.
• Dassam Falls:Dassam falls is 34 km from Ranchi on Ranchi-Tata Road near a village called Taimara. Here, the Kachni river falls from an altitude of 144 feet. It is also known as Dassam Gagh.
• Hirni Falls:Another beautiful waterfall amidst forests about 70 km from Ranchi.

Sita Fall.

• Sita Fall:Adjacent to Jonha falls is Sita falls which can be seen at its best early in the morning.
• Pahari Mandir(Ranchi Hill):Ranchi Hill and Pahari Mandir is one of the landmark of Ranchi Town. The Shiva temple is situated on the top of the hill also known as Pahari Mandir. At the bottom of the hill is Ranchi Lake. Ranchi lake was excavated by Colonel Onsely in 1842.
• Deer Park(Khunti Road)
• Birsa Jaiwik Udyaan(ZOO): Birsa Jaivik Udyan is situated at a distance of 16 km from Ranchi in Ranchi Ramgarh Road near Ormanjhi. Many species of animals, trees and plants can be seen here.
• Dhurwa Dam
• Fun Castle, Ratu Road
• Sidhu Kanhu Park
• Zakir Hussain Park
• Nakshatra Van: Nakshatra Van is situated in the heart of the City. It is divided into various sections. There is a big circle in the center of the park which is divided into arcs. The tree that represents the particular nakshatras in the zodiac has been planted in each of the corresponding arcs.
• Tagore Hill: The Morhabadi Hill famous as Tagore Hill is an important tourist spot.The elder brother of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Jyotirindranath Tagore has built a house(Shantidham) on the hill. It is known as Tagore Hill due to its association with tagore family. Rath yatra similar to Puri is held every year.
• Rukka Dam
• Muta Crocodile breeding centre: It is situated at a distance of 23 km from Ranchi on Ranchi Ramgarh Road near Ormanjhi. There are around 50 crocodiles.
• Ratu Fort
• Jharkhand War Memorial
• Ranchi Lake: Located at the base of Ranchi Hills is excavted in the year 1842.
• McCluskigunj: It is famous for European style bungalows and a tribal museum.
• Tribal Research Institute and Museum: Located in Morhabadi. It shows tribal culture of Chotanagpur plateau.
• Jagannathpur Temple: It is 10 km apart from Ranchi town Jagannathpur temple was built in 1691 having resemblance with architectural style of Puri temple. Thakur Ani Nath Shahdeo, of Barkagarh Jagannathpur built the temple. Rath yatra similar to Puri is held every year.
• Sun Temple: It is situated at a distance of 40 km on Ranchi Tata Road. It is built in the form of a Chariot with 18 wheels drawn by 7 white horses. It is surrounded by a pond which is used by devotees during Chhath Puja for worshipping of Sun.
• Angrabari (Amreshwar Dham): It is a temple consisting of the deity of Lord Shiva, Ram and Sita, Hanuman and Ganesh. It is situated near Khunti at a distance of about 40 km from Ranchi. The Shankracharya Swami Swarupanand Saraswati, having been captivated by serene, placid and celestial beauty of Angrabadi rechristened it as Amreshwar Dham.
• Devri Temple: A temple of Solha Bhuji Goddess Durga,is located on right side Ranchi-Tata highway(NH33) at 60 km from Ranchi.It is the only temple in Jharkhand where the religious rituals are performed by the Pahans(tribal priests) along with conventional Brahmins.
• GEL Church: Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur, Assam in short G.E.L. Church on 2 November 1845 by four German Missionaries named Emil Schatz, Fredrik batsch, Augustus Brandt and E. Theodor Janke sent by Fr. Johaness Evangelista Gossner of Berlin. They arrived Ranchi and erected their tents and G.E.L. Church was inaugurated with church service on 2 November 1845.

Hotels[link]

Being a city of natural beauty and big industries, Ranchi attracts a lot of people from outside. Ranchi has got plenty of 5 star and 3 star hotels for their pleasant stay here. It has got some star hotels like Radisson Blu, Yuvraj Palace, Golden Tulip, Capitol Hill, Green Acres, Green Horizon, Arya, Le Lac, Ranchi Ashok and so on. It has a multitude of budget hotels and motels for regular visitors which provide convenient accommodation and food with other amenities.

See also[link]

• List of Universities and Colleges in Ranchi
• List of cities in Jharkhand

References[link]

1. ^ "Jharkhand Movement". Country Studies. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. http://web.archive.org/web/20110708194737/http://country-studies.com/india/jharkhand-movement.htmll. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
2. ^ Cultural Configuration of Ranchi, Lalita Prasad Vidyarthi, Rajendra Behari Lal, India. Planning Commission. Research Programmes Committee, 1969, pg 306.
3. ^ Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society Of Bengal, Volume 4, No. 11, 1927, "The Etymology of Ranchi, pg 601.
4. ^ Kaye's and Malleson's history of the Indian mutiny of 1857-8, Volume 4, By Sir John William Kaye, George Bruce Malleson, W.H. Allen, 1889, pg 95.
5. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Ranchi
6. ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 
7. ^ Assocham report, 2010

MS Dhoni

Personal information
Full name	Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Born	(1981-07-07) 7 July 1981 (age 30) Ranchi, Bihar (now in Jharkhand), India
Nickname	Mahi
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Batting style	Right-hand batsman
Bowling style	Right-hand medium
Role	Wicket-keeper, India captain
International information
National side	India
Test debut (cap 251)	2 December 2005 v Sri Lanka
Last Test	13 January 2012 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 158)	23 December 2004 v Bangladesh
Last ODI	19 February 2012 v Australia
T20I debut (cap 2)	1 December 2006 v South Africa
Last T20I	3 February 2012 v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1999/00–2004/05	Bihar
2004/05-present	Jharkhand
2008–present	Chennai Super Kings
Career statistics
Competition	Test	ODI	FC	LA
Matches	67	206	108	253
Runs scored	3,509	6,773	5,671	8,500
Batting average	37.32	51.70	36.12	50.29
100s/50s	5/24	7/45	8/38	13/54
Top score	148	183*	148	183*
Balls bowled	78	12	108	39
Wickets	0	1	0	2
Bowling average	–	14.00	–	18.00
5 wickets in innings	–	–	–	–
10 wickets in match	–	–	–	–
Best bowling	–	1/14	–	1/14
Catches/stumpings	192/28	193/65	284/45	257/76
Source: Cricinfo, 30 January 2012

Mahendra Singh Dhoni  pronunciation (help·info) (born 7 July 1981) is an Indian cricketer and the current captain of the Indian national cricket team and the Chennai Super Kings cricket team. He made his One Day International (ODI) debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh, and a year later played his first Test, this time against Sri Lanka.

Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, CB Series of 2007–08, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2008 and 2010 against Australia 2–0 and 2011 World Cup. His Test, ODI record is best among all the Indian captains to date. He also captained Chennai Super Kings to victory in the recent 2011 IPL and in the Champions League. He is now captain of India in all three forms of the game and also led the team to their first ever bilateral ODI series wins in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Under Dhoni's captaincy India became the first team after a gap of more than 20 years to whitewash Australia in a Test series. Dhoni also led the Indian team to the number one position in ICC rankings in Test cricket for the first time. Dhoni has also been the recipient of many awards including the ICC ODI Player of the Year award in 2008 and 2009 (the first Indian player to achieve this feat), the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour in 2009. In 2009 Dhoni topped the list of world’s top 10 earning cricketers compiled by Forbes.^[1] He was named as the captain of ICC World Test and ICC ODI teams for 2009. In the final of the 2011 Cricket World Cup, he hit 91 not out of just 79 balls to lead India to victory. For his outstanding batting in the final, he was awarded as the man of the match. The TIME magazine added him in its "Time 100" list of 100 most influential people of 2011.^[2] According to the SportsPro magazine Dhoni is 10th most valuable brand in field of sports worldwide and number 1 among all Asian superstars.^[3]

Personal life[link]

Sakshi Singh Rawat, Dhoni's wife

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born in Ranchi, Bihar (now in Jharkhand),^[4] and he identifies as being a Rajput.^[5] His paternal village Lvali is in the Lamgarha block of the Almora District of Uttarakhand. Dhoni's parents, moved from Uttarakhand to Ranchi where Pan Singh worked in junior management positions in MECON. Dhoni has a sister Jayanti and a brother Narendra.^[6] Dhoni is a fan of Adam Gilchrist, and his childhood idols were cricket teammate Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and singer Lata Mangeshkar.Shreya Ghoshal is his current favourite singer. He said this in front a press conference with Pune Mirror.^[7][8]

Dhoni studied at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali,(now the school is known as JVM, Shyamli, Ranchi) Ranchi, Jharkhand where he initially excelled in badminton and football and was selected at district and club level in these sports. Dhoni was a goalkeeper for his football team and was sent to play cricket for a local cricket club by his football coach. Though he had not played cricket, Dhoni impressed with his wicket-keeping skills and became the regular wicketkeeper at the Commando cricket club (1995–1998). Based on his performance at club cricket, he was picked for the 1997/98 season Vinoo Mankad Trophy Under-16 Championship and he performed well.^[6] Dhoni focused on cricket after his 10th standard.^[9]

Dhoni married Sakshi (née Rawat) on 4 July 2010. Sakshi Dhoni, a native of Dehradun, Uttarakhand. At the time of their marriage, she was studying Hotel Management and was working as a trainee at the Taj Bengal, Kolkata. After the retirement of Sakshi’s father from tea gardens, their family shifted to their native place, Dehradun.

The wedding stumped the media and the fans as it took place only a day after the couple got engaged.^[10][11] Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, a close friend of Dhoni, was quick to inform the media that the wedding was planned for months and was not a spur of the moment decision.^[12]

Playing style[link]

Dhoni is a 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.^[13]

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 feet do not show much movement which sometimes results in chasing balls while not coming to the pitch of the ball or to some deliveries catching the inside edge.

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.^[6]

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 Sri Lanka 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.^[14]

Only nine players have captained ten or more Tests while playing as a wicket-keeper. Dhoni leads the field with 33 Tests as captain, 15 ahead of Gerry Alexander in second place.^[15]

Domestic career[link]

Junior cricket[link]

Dhoni was included in the Bihar U-19 squad for the 1998/99 season and scored 176 runs in 5 matches (7 innings) as the team finished fourth in the group of six and did not make it to the quarter finals. Dhoni was not picked for the East Zone U-19 squad (CK Nayudu Trophy) and Rest of India squad (MA Chidambaram Trophy and Vinoo Mankad Trophy). Bihar U-19 cricket team advanced to the finals of the 1999–2000 Cooch Behar Trophy where Dhoni made 84 to help Bihar post a total of 357. Bihar's efforts were dwarfed by Punjab U-19's 839 with Dhoni's future national squad teammate Yuvraj Singh making 358.^[16] Dhoni's contribution for the tournament included 488 runs (9 matches, 12 innings), 5 fifties, 17 catches and 7 stumpings.^[17] MS Dhoni made it to the East Zone U-19 squad for the CK Nayudu trophy but scored only 97 runs in four matches as East Zone lost all four matches and finished last in the tournament.

Bihar team[link]

Dhoni made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar in the 1999–2000 season as an eighteen year old. He made a half century in his debut match scoring 68* in the second innings against Assam cricket team.^[18] Dhoni finished the season with 283 runs in 5 matches. Dhoni scored his maiden first-class century against Bengal in the 2000/01 season in a losing cause.^[19] Apart from the century, his performance in the 2000/01^[20] did not include another score over fifty and in 2001/02 season he scored just five fifty in each season in four Ranji matches.^[21] Dhoni's performance for the 2002/03 season in the Ranji Trophy included three half centuries in the Ranji Trophy and a couple of half-centuries in the Deodhar Trophy competition as he started winning recognition for his lower-order run contribution as well as hard hitting batting style.

In the 2003/04 season, Dhoni scored a century (128*) against Assam in the first match of the Ranji ODI trophy. He was part of the East Zone squad that won the Deodhar Trophy for the year and contributed with 244 runs in 4 matches. In the Duleep Trophy finals, Dhoni was picked over International cricketer Deep Dasgupta to represent East zone.^[22] He scored a fighting half century in the second innings in a losing cause.^[23]

The future captain was discovered via the BCCI's small-town talent-spotting initiative TRDW. Dhoni was discovered by TRDO PC Podar, captain of Bengal in the 1960s, when he saw Dhoni play for Jharkhand at a match in Jamshedpur in 2003, and sent a report to the National Cricket Academy.^[24]

India A team[link]

He was recognised for his efforts in the 2003/04 season, especially in the ODI format and was picked for the India A squad for a tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya.^[25] Against the Zimbabwe XI in Harare Sports Club, Dhoni had his best wicket-keeping effort with 7 catches and 4 stumpings in the match.^[26] In the tri-nation tournament involving Kenya, India 'A' and Pakistan 'A', Dhoni helped India 'A' chase their target of 223 against Pakistan 'A' with a half-century.^[27] Stressing on his performance, he scored back to back centuries – 120^[28] and 119*^[29] against the same squad. Dhoni scored 362 runs in 7 matches (6 innings, Avg:72.40), and his performance in the series received attention from the then Indian Cricket team captain – Sourav Ganguly^[30] and Ravi Shastri amongst others. However, the India 'A' team coach Sandeep Patil recommended Dinesh Karthik for a place in the Indian squad as Wicket-keeper/Batsman.^[31]

Indian Premier League[link]

M.S.Dhoni was contracted by the Chennai Super Kings for 1.5 Million USD. This made him the most expensive player in the IPL for the first season auctions.^[32] Dhoni is the present captain of the Chennai Super Kings Team. Under his captaincy, Chennai Super Kings have won 2 Indian Premier League titles and the 2010 Champions League Twenty20.

Batting Stats in IPL and Champions League Twenty20[link]

ODI career[link]

The Indian team in the 2000s (decade) saw the use of Rahul Dravid as the wicket-keeper to ensure that the wicket-keeper spot didn't lack in batting talent.^[30] 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.^[30] With Dhoni making a mark in the India-A squad, he was picked in the ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour in 2004/05.^[41] Dhoni did not have a great start to his ODI career, getting run out for a duck on debut.^[42] In spite of an average series against Bangladesh, Dhoni was picked for the Pakistan ODI series.^[43] 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 surpassed the earlier record for the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper,^[44] 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^[45] – an innings described in Wisden Almanack (2006) as 'Uninhibited, yet anything but crude'.^[46] The innings set various records including the highest Individual score in ODI cricket in the second innings,^[47] a record that still stands. Dhoni ended the series with the highest run aggregate (346)^[48] 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.^[49]

Dhoni bowling in the nets. He rarely bowls at international level.

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.^[50] 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.^[51][52] 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.^[53] In recognition of his consistent ODI performances, Dhoni overtook Ricky Ponting as number one in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen on 20 April 2006.^[54] His reign lasted just a week as Adam Gilchrist's performance against Bangladesh moved him to the top spot.^[55]

Two cancelled series in Sri Lanka, one due to the withdrawal of South Africa from the Unitech Cup due to security concerns^[56] and the replacement 3-match ODI bilateral series against Sri Lanka washed due to rain,^[57] 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 a 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.^[58]

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 tournament. After the loss to Bangladesh in 2007 Cricket World Cup, the house that Dhoni was constructing in his home-town Ranchi was vandalised and damaged by political activists of JMM.^[59] The local police arranged for security for his family as India exited the World cup in the first round.^[60]

Dhoni put his disappointment in the World cup behind him 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.^[14] 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.^[61] 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 took his first wicket and ODI wicket on 30 September 2009. He bowled Travis Dowlin from the West Indies. During the series between India and Australia, Dhoni hit an aggressive 124 runs in just 107 balls, in the second ODI, and a measured knock of 71 runs in 95 balls, along with Yuvraj Singh, saw India home by 6 wickets, in the third ODI.

Dhoni topped the ICC ODI Batsman rankings for several months continuously in 2009, it was Hussy from Australia who replaced him for the top spot in the beginning of 2010.

Dhoni had an excellent year in ODIs in 2009 scoring 1198 runs in just 24 innings at an astonishing average of 70.43. Dhoni was also the joint top-scorer in ODIs in 2009 along with Ricky Ponting, but the latter having played in 30 innings.

On 12 February 2012, Dhoni made an unbeaten 44 to guide India to their first win over Australia at Adelaide. In the final over, he hit a monstrous six which travelled 112 metres off the bowling of Clint McKay. During the post-match presentation, he described this six as more important than the one he hit during the ICC World Cup final in 2011.^[62]

Test career[link]

Test Career of Dhoni. Each bar indicates a single innings and the red line indicates the progression in his career batting average. An alternative image showing a 10 innings moving average is available.

Following his good one-day form against Sri Lanka, Dhoni replaced Dinesh Karthik in December 2005 as the Indian Test wicket-keeper.^[63] 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.^[64] 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.^[65]

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.^[66]

Dhoni at fielding practice.

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).^[67] 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 in 2006, 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 he 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.^[68]

On the fourth day of the first Test match at Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's, Antigua during India's tour of West Indies, 2006, Dhoni's flick off Dave Mohammed to the midwicket region was caught by Daren Ganga. As the batsman started to walk back, captain Dravid declared the innings when confusion started as the umpires were not certain if the fielder stepped on the ropes and Dhoni stayed for the umpire's verdict. While the replays were inconclusive, the captain of the West Indies side, Brian Lara, wanted Dhoni to walk-off based on the fielder's assertion of the catch. The impasse continued for more than 15 minutes and Lara's temper was on display with finger wagging against the umpires and snatching the ball from umpire Asad Rauf. Ultimately, Dhoni walked-off and Dravid's declaration was effected but the game was delayed, and Lara's action was criticised by the commentators and former players. Lara was summoned by the match referee to give an explanation of his actions but he was not fined.^[69]

Dhoni scored two centuries in Sri Lanka's tour of India in 2009, a series of 3 matches in which he led India to a 2–0 victory. With this feat, India soared up to the number 1 position in Test cricket for the first time in history. India scored 726–9 (decl) in the third match of this series, which is their highest Test total ever.^[70]

Captain of India[link]

Dhoni was named the captain of India Twenty 20 squad for the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 held in South Africa in September 2007.^[71] India were crowned champions as Dhoni led the team to victory against Pakistan in a thrilling contest.^[72] He, then went on to become the ODI captain of the Indian team for the seven-match ODI series against Australia in September 2007.^[73] He made his debut as full-time Test captain of India during the fourth and final test against Australia at Nagpur in November 2008 replacing Anil Kumble who was injured in the third test and who then announced his retirement. Dhoni was vice-captain in this series up to that point.^[74] India eventually won that Test thus clinching the series 2–0 and retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.^[75] Dhoni had previously captained India on a stand-in basis against South Africa and Australia in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

It was under his captaincy that India climbed to No. 1 in the ICC Test Rankings in December 2009. After that he managed to lead India in a series-levelling world championship of Tests against the South Africans in February 2010.

After winning the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup for India against Sri Lanka on 2 April 2011 with his match winning knock of unbeaten 91, Tendulkar heaped praises on Dhoni, claiming him to be the best captain he has played under. Tendulkar mentioned that it was Dhoni's calm influence that was rubbing off on all his team-mates and even under such extreme pressure from every corner the way Dhoni handles it and brings the best out of him was just incredible. Saurav Ganguly also said in an interview to a news channel that Dhoni is the all time greatest captain of India and he has a great record to support this credential.

Two-match ban[link]

Dhoni was handed a two-match ban from playing in the ODI series against Sri Lanka for the team's slow over-rate during the second one-dayer in Nagpur (18 December 2009).^[76]

World Cup[link]

Under Dhoni's captaincy, India won the 2011 World Cup. In the final against Sri Lanka, chasing 275, Dhoni promoted himself up the batting order, coming before Yuvraj Singh. When he came to bat India needed more than six runs per over with three top order batsmen already dismissed. He started building a good partnership with Gautam Gambhir. Due to good strokeplay and active running between wickets, they kept up with the required run rate. Dhoni was on 60 off 60 balls, but later accelerated with a greater flow of boundaries, ending with 91 not out off 79 balls. Befitting the occasion, he finished the match with a huge six over long-on off bowler Nuwan Kulasekara.

Later he admitted in the post match presentation that he came up the order so as to counter the Muralitharan spin threat as he was very familiar with Murali's bowling, being his team-mate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings. He had come after the dismissal of Virat Kohli, also a right-handed batsman. By partnering with the left-handed Gambhir, he ensured a right-left combination at the crease that makes it difficult for bowlers to settle into a rhythm.

The bat used by Dhoni in the final match,which got the team winning six was sold for 72 Lac. The money goes to Sakshi Rawat Foundation, operated by Dhoni's wife Sakshi Rawat to help orphan children.^[77]

Cricket performance[link]

ODI Cricket[link]

ODI career records by opposition
#	Opponent	Matches	Runs	Average	High Score	100s	50s	Catches	Stumping
1	Africa XI[78]	3	174	87.00	139*	1	0	3	3
2	Australia	25	697	38.72	124	1	3	26	9
3	Bangladesh	9	247	61.75	101*	1	1	9	6
4	Bermuda	1	29	29.00	29	0	0	1	0
5	England	23	817	48.06	96	0	3	19	7
6	Hong Kong	1	109	-	109*	1	0	1	3
7	New Zealand	11	309	51.50	84*	0	2	7	2
8	Pakistan	25	1001	52.68	148	1	8	22	6
9	Scotland	1	-	-	-	-	-	2	-
10	South Africa	19	386	25.73	107	0	2	7	1
11	Sri Lanka	46	1798	62.00	183*	2	14	38	9
12	West Indies	18	499	49.90	95	0	3	16	4
13	Zimbabwe	2	123	123.00	67*	0	2	0	1
Total		192	6372	50.17	183*	7	42	182	61

ODI Centuries:

ODI centuries
#	Runs	Match	Against	Stadium	City/Country	Year
1	148	5	Pakistan	ACA-VDCA Stadium	Vishakapatnam, India	2005
2	183*	22	Sri Lanka	Sawai Mansingh Stadium	Jaipur, India	2005
3	139*	74	Africa XI[78]	MA Chidambaram Stadium	Chennai, India	2007
4	109*	109	Hong Kong	National Stadium	Karachi, Pakistan	2008
5	124	143	Australia	VCA Stadium	Nagpur, India	2009
6	107	152	Sri Lanka	VCA Stadium	Nagpur, India	2009
7	101*	156	Bangladesh	Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium	Dhaka, Bangladesh	2010

ODI records[link]

• On 31 October 2005 Dhoni scored 183* runs of just 145 balls against Sri Lanka in Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, which is the highest score made by any batsman in the second innings (surpassing Lara's previous record of 153).^[47]
  • The innings featured 10 Sixes – the most by an Indian in an innings, and the fifth highest in ODIs.^[79]
  • He broke Adam Gilchrist's record of 172 for the highest score made by a wicket keeper.
  • The innings set the record for the most number of runs scored in boundaries (120 – 15x4; 10x6) breaking the record held by Saeed Anwar. However this was later broken by Herschelle Gibbs (126 runs in boundaries – 21x4; 7x6) against Australia during his knock of 175.
  • The score of 183* equalled Ganguly's innings during the 1999 Cricket World Cup as the highest individual score against Sri Lanka.
• Among Indian batsmen who have played more than 50 matches, Dhoni has the highest average.^[80] Dhoni's batting average is also the highest amongst wicketkeepers in ODIs.
• In June 2007, Dhoni(139*) and Mahela Jayawardene(107)^[78] set a new world record for the sixth wicket partnership of 218 runs against Africa XI during the Afro-Asia Cup.^[81]
  • Dhoni passed Shaun Pollock's record for the highest individual score by a number seven batsman in one-day internationals during his unbeaten innings of 139.^[82] Incidentally, Pollock record stood for just three days as his score of 130 came in the first match of the 2007 Afro-Asia Cup while Dhoni's century came in the third and final match of the series.
  • Dhoni also holds the records of the most dismissals in an innings by an Indian wicketkeeper and joint International (with Adam Gilchrist) with 6 dismissals (5 catches and one stumping) against England at Headlingly 2 September 2007.
  • Dhoni holds the Indian record of most dismissals in ODIs. He went past Nayan Mongia's 154 for India on 14 November 2008 when he caught Ian Bell off Zaheer Khan at Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot. However including 3 ODIs against Africa XI, his 155th dismissal was TM Dilshan caught off Munaf Patel at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on 24 August 2008.
• Dhoni, when he was on four during his innings of 23 against Sri Lanka at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Saturday, completed 4,000 runs in ODIs. Having already effected 165 dismissals (125 catches + 40 stumpings), Dhoni became the sixth wicketkeeper after Adam Gilchrist, Andy Flower, Alec Stewart, Mark Boucher and Kumar Sangakkara to complete the "double" of 4,000 runs and 100 dismissals in the history of ODIs. Dhoni’s feat of completing the "double" of 4,000 runs and 100 dismissals in only 114 innings is a world record. He is the youngest wicket-keeper batsman to do so (27 years and 208 days).

Man of the Series Awards[link]

S No	Series (Opponents)	Season	Series Performance
1	Sri Lanka in  India ODI Series	2005/06	346 Runs (7 Matches & 5 Innings, 1x100, 1x50); 6 Catches & 3 Stumpings
2	India in  Bangladesh ODI Series	2007	127 Runs (2 Matches & 2 Innings, 1x50); 1 Catches & 2 Stumpings[83]
3	India in  Sri Lanka ODI Series	2008	193 Runs (5 Matches & 5 Innings, 2x50); 3 Catches & 1 Stumping
4	India in  West Indies ODI Series	2009	182 Runs (4 Matches & 3 Innings with an average of 91); 4 Catches & 1 Stumping
5	India in  England ODI Series	2011	236 Runs (5 Matches & 5 Innings with an average of 78.66, 3x50)
5	England in  India ODI Series	2011	212 Runs (5 Matches & 4 Innings with out been dismissed even once in the series, 2x50)

Man of the Match Awards:

S No	Opponent	Venue	Season	Match Performance
1	Pakistan	Vishakapatnam	2004/05	148 (123b, 15x4, 4x6); 2 Catches
2	Sri Lanka	Jaipur	2005/06	183* (145b, 15x4, 10x6); 1 Catch
3	Pakistan	Lahore	2005/06	72 (46b, 12x4); 3 Catches
4	Bangladesh	Mirpur	2007	91* (106b, 7x4); 1 Stumping
5	Africa XI[78]	Chennai	2007	139* (97b, 15x4, 5x6); 3 Stumpings
6	Australia	Chandigarh	2007	50* ( 35 b, 5x4 1x6); 2 Stumpings
7	Pakistan	Guwahati	2007	63, 1 Stumping
8	Sri Lanka	Karachi	2008	67, 2 Catches
9	Sri Lanka	Colombo (RPS)	2008	76, 2 Catches
10	New Zealand	McLean Park, Napier	2009	84*, 1 Catch & 1 Stumping
11	West Indies	Beausejour Stadium, St. Lucia	2009	46*, 2 Catches & 1 Stumping
12	Australia	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur	2009	124, 1 Catches, 1 Stumping & 1 Runout
13	Bangladesh	Mirpur	2010	101* (107b, 9x4)
14	Sri Lanka	Wankhede Stadium	2011	91 Not Out
14	England	Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium	2011	87*, 1 Catch & 1 Stumping

Test cricket[link]

Test performance^[84]:

Test career records by opposition
#	Opponents	Matches	Runs	Average	High Score	100s	50s	Catches	Stumpings
1	Australia	12	582	30.63	92	0	5	32	9
2	Bangladesh	3	193	96.50	89	0	2	12	3
3	England	12	617	32.47	92	0	6	37	3
4	New Zealand	5	299	49.83	98	0	3	19	3
5	Pakistan	5	323	64.60	148	1	2	9	1
6	South Africa	10	560	37.33	132*	1	2	24	1
7	Sri Lanka	9	491	49.10	110	2	2	21	1
8	West Indies	10	430	26.88	144	1	2	36	7
Total		66	3495	37.99	148	5	24	190	28

Test centuries: