MS Dhoni nominated for Padma Bhushan: Here is why Ranchi boy deserves the prestigious award

Indian wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been admired by many pople for his achievements and therefore on the basis of his statistics in the 'game of fame' cricket he is now nominated for the third-highest civilian award Padma Bhushan by Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI).

The 36-year-old has scored 9737 runs in 302 ODIs besides 4876 runs in 90 Test matches. He has also played 78 T20 Internationals, notching up 1212 runs.

A senior BCCI official confirmed that the Board has only sent one name for the Padma awards this year and it was a unanimous decision to nominate India’s most successful captain.

“MS Dhoni has been nominated by the BCCI for the Padma Bhushan award. There was no doubt among the members that Dhoni has impeccable credentials. Two World titles (2011 50-over World Cup and 2007 World T20), nearly 10,000 runs, 90 Test matches. There is no one better than him, who could have been nominated,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

He has 16 international hundreds (6 in Tests and 10 in ODIs) along with 100 international half-centuries. As a wicketkeeper, Dhoni has held 584 catches across formats (256 in Tests, 285 in ODIs and 43 in T20 Internationals). He has also effected 163 stumpings.

Some of the notable international cricketers, who have been the recipients of Padma Bhushan award are Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Chandu Borde, Prof DB Deodhar, Col CK Nayudu, and Lala Amarnath.

Let's have a look on Here are all the achievements of MS Dhoni:

1. In 2007, it was former batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar who recommended Dhoni's name for India's skipper.
2. In 2012, SportsPro rated Dhoni as the sixteenth most marketable athlete in the world.
3. It was in 2007 when MS Dhoni was selected as a captain of Team India to lead in T20 World Cup. It was under his brilliant captaincy that India won the inaugural T20 World Cup of 2007.
4. Some of the most impressive performance of 'captain cool' includes leading India to win the coveted Border -Gavaskar trophies in 2008, 2010 and 2013.
5. In IPL, he led the team of Chennai Super Kings and it was under his able captaincy skills that the team tasted victory in two seasons of 2010 and 2011.
6. In 2013, under Dhoni's command India turn out to be the first team in more than 40 years to whitewash Australia in a test series.
7. Dhoni was the first Indian cricket captain to win an ODI tri-series in Australia (Commonwealth Bank Series in 2008).
8. India has won 110 matches under captaincy of Dhoni out of 199.
9. Dhoni is statistically most successfully test captain, leading India to 27 wins, while losing 18 and drawing 15.
10. MS Dhoni is the only captain in wold to win all 3 ICC trophies.
11. In 2011, Dhoni was made an honouarary Lt colonel of India's territorial army.
12. Dhoni became the first million dollar player when CSK bought him in the IPL 1 auction.
13. He is the only wicket-keeper to lead a team in more than 100 international matches across format.
14. In 2011, 2012 and 2013 under Dhoni captaincy India was named as ICC team of the year.
15. Dhoni is already a recipient of the prestigious Arjuna, Rajeev Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Padma Shri award.
16. 2011 CNN-IBN Indian of the Year in Sports.

-With agencies inputs