A Champion With The Highest Calibre, MS Dhoni Deserved The Padma Bhushan

It was another feather added to the illustrious cap of former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The senior cricketer was felicitated with the Padma Bhushan alongside multiple world-champion cueist Pankaj Advani. In a grand ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the capital, President Ramnath Kovind handed the country’s third highest civilian award.
This was the kind of spectacle a cricket fan wanted to see for the former Padma Shri winner. One of the most respected cricket legends across the world, Dhoni has achieved everything the game had to offer. A gentleman, a true legend of the sport and one of the greatest captains ever, the Dhoni legacy lives on.
Making his debut for the national team in 2005, Dhoni’s journey has been one of the pinnacles of Indian cricket. A true warrior, MSD’s attributes was well known to former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, who gave him the desired break in Indian colours. Dhoni since then never looked back.
A dinner ceremony was hosted by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday for 41 prominent people. Monday’s event saw the ruling party big shots attending the event that included Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was a grand affair with Dhoni joining a list of legendary cricketers to have been conferred with the award.
DHONI’S ACHIEVEMENTS SPEAKS FOR HIMSELF
A player that thrived under every situation, Dhoni brought a lot of charisma along with the winning mentality. His records speak for himself. Dhoni has won every big laurel in his career that includes the top most prize in the ICC World Cup, World Twenty20 and the Champions Trophy.
Interestingly, he is the only captain to achieve this feat. The flamboyant personality had also led India to the number one team in Test rankings in 2009. He is the most successful Indian captain till date. He boasts of a plethora of individual records and has taken India to newer heights.
STAT BOX: MSD’S RECORDS MONUMENTAL
The Ranchi-born player is just 33 short of 10,000 runs in ODIs. That could see him be only the fourth Indian player to achieve the statistic. A match-winner, Dhoni has always boasted of a 50+ average in ODIs, which very few players have got under their belt. He also has 100 fifties across Tests and ODIs.
A look at the numbers
Tests: Matches 90, Runs 4876, Best 224, Average 38.09, 100/50 6/33 
ODIs: Matches 318, Runs 9967, Best 183*, Average 51.37, 100/50 10/67
T20Is: Matches 89, Runs 1444, Best 56, Average 36.02, S/R 126.55
APRIL, 2: A DAY THAT IS HIS LUCKIEST
Incidentally, Dhoni has received the prestigious award exactly seven years since lifting the ICC Cricket World Cup as India skipper in Mumbai on April 2, 2011. On this day seven years ago, India ended a 28-year World Cup drought by winning their second title in front of a manic home crowd at the Wankhede Stadium.
His side ended a 28-year-old wait to lift the prestigious title. Dhoni played like a champion in the final, when he struck an unbeaten 91 runs and capped off the chase against Sri Lanka with a mammoth six. India won the 275-run chase with 10 balls to spare.
WITH PADMA BHUSHAN MSD JOINS A LIST OF FAMOUS CRICKETERS
The prestigious Padma Bhushan was won by 10 cricketers in India’s history. Dhoni became the 11th personality to receive the same. It boasts of some very big names in Indian cricket and Dhoni being ushered with the same depicts the persona he is in the game.
The list include the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Chandu Borde, Prof DB Deodhar, Col CK Nayudu, and Lala Amarnath. So many legends in one frame!
WHAT NEXT FOR THE STALWART?
Dhoni will be looking to help India win the ICC 2019 World Cup and be a player that can create a record for India with two titles along with Virat Kohli. Still a mainstream of the Indian side, MSD was instrumental against South Africa earlier this year and now he will bear similar responsibility in tours of England, Australia and New Zealand.
His strength behind the stumps and in the middle-order gives Kohli a lot of endeavour and trust.