The 27-year-old has reached dizzy heights in a short space of time, rising from a lowly and poorly paid railway employee in his home town Ranchi in eastern India to become one of the country’s most celebrated sportsmen.
The dashing batsman-wicketkeeper, who made an uninspiring One-day debut in December 2004, captained India when senior players opted out of the inaugural Twenty20 world championships in South Africa in 2007.
Dhoni and his rank outsiders went on to win the tournament and he found himself elevated to both the One-day captaincy and deputy to Test skipper Anil Kumble after Rahul Dravid resigned