Widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation, former Indian skipper MS Dhoni will celebrate his 39th birthday on Tuesday (July 7, 2020). The Ranchi-born cricketer is the most successful captain in Indian cricket and is the only skipper till date to lift all the three major ICC trophies (World Cup, Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup). So on Dhoni’s birthday, we take a look at some lesser-known facts about him. MS Dhoni Birthday Special: Times When Former Indian Captain and His Daughter Ziva Dazzled Social Media (Photos and Videos Inside).

Born in Ranchi, Bihar, MS Dhoni made his debut for the national team in 2004 against Bangladesh and just three years into his international career was named as India’s limited-overs captain. Soon after that, he took over the reins from legendary spin bowler Anil Kumble in the Test format and transformed India into the dominant force in world cricket. Fans Trend #MSDhoniBirthday on Social Media As a Part of Pre-Celebrations of CSK Captain’s Birthday.

World Cup’s, Champions Trophy and No.1 ranked teams, MS Dhoni has done it all as the captain of the Indian national team. So as he turns 39, we look at some facts about him.

Lesser-Known Facts About MS Dhoni

  • MS Dhoni was born on July 7, 1981, in Ranchi, Jharkhand and as a kid, excelled at badminton and football.

  • Dhoni played as a goalkeeper and was urged to try cricket by childhood coach Keshav Banarjee.

  • Dhoni was a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) at Kharagpur railway station from 2001 to 2003

  • Dhoni made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar in 1999-2000 season at the age of 18.

  • MS Dhoni led India to 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 Cricket World Cup Triumphs.

  • MS Dhoni was the first player to win the ICC ODI Player of the Year Award Twice (2008 and 2009)

  • He is the only captain in international cricket to win World Cup, Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup.

  • In 2011, The Indian Territorial Army conferred Dhoni with the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

  • MS Dhoni was awarded Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2007, Padma Shri in 2009 and Padma Bhushan in 2008.

  • MS Dhoni co-owns a Supersport World Championship team called 'Mahi Racing Team India' along with Telugu superstar, Akkineni Nagarjuna.

Apart from International accolades, MS Dhoni has enjoyed success st the domestic level as well. The wicket-keeper batsman has captained IPL side Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to three titles in the competition, which makes him the second-most successful skipper in the tournament's history.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 06, 2020 02:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).