8 things you did not know about MS Dhoni

One of the most loved cricketers of all time, one of the greatest cricket captains that India has ever had, our very own Captain Cool - MS Dhoni has a lot more than meets the eye. From being a simple lad from Ranchi who'd been conditioned to believe that the job of a railway ticket-checker was the most glory he'd ever achieve in his life to bringing the ICC World Cup home, MSD has done it all!

A tell-all biopic was made on the phenomenal man in 2016 that helped us understand Mahi and his journey a little better. But there still remain bits and pieces of trivia about our favourite player that very few people are aware of. Here are 8 things you did not know about MS Dhoni:

8. MSD is an ardent dog lover

MS Dhoni is another addition to the long list of dog lovers. To be fair, who doesn't love dogs, right? Back in 2013, he adopted a stray pup from the Hope and Animal Trust Ranchi, whose image he tweeted. MSD ended up giving the sweet pup two names: Leah in English and Liya in Hindi!

Dhoni has frequently been found petting guard dogs at the stadiums and his wife, Sakshi Dhoni shares the same love for the canines. The couple are known to adopt street dogs. Earlier in 2018, he posted a cute video of taking a morning walk with his pack of dogs and also named Sam to be his favourite pet among the lot.

7. MSD was the first captain to win all three ICC limited overs trophies

MS Dhoni with the T20 World Cup

MSD has a hat that is full and brimming with the feathers that he's won and collected over the years in his career. He was handed the reins of the Indian limited overs team back in 2007 at a young age of 26 years and from thereon, he's led India to the pinnacle of glory.

In 2013, when India won the Champions Trophy in England, MSD became the first captain to claim the record of having captained a side to all three major ICC limited overs trophies, namely, the World T20 in 2007, the ICC World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013).

6. MSD holds the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel

MS Dhoni with the Indian army jawans

Time and again, Dhoni has expressed his desire to serve his country via the army once he's done with his playing career. As a result, the Indian Territorial Army conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel to him on 1 November 2011, an honour that only Kapil Dev had held before him.

It was in this prestigious uniform that MSD chose to receive the Padma Bhushan from the Honourable President of India, Ram Nath Kovind in early 2018. The former skipper's love for his country was well-reflected in this gesture and won millions of hearts.

5. MS Dhoni is extremely good friends with actor Bipasha Basu

The duo are known to be very close friends since a long time

Not many know that MS Dhoni is very close friends with Hindi film actor, Bipasha Basu. Reportedly, his ties with Basu goes back to the time when she had been dating John Abraham. The friendship among the trio had been so strong that MSD had once confessed to Abraham being the inspiration behind the long locks that he used to sport in the beginning of his cricketing career.

In fact, Bipasha Basu was one of the few people to be in the know of the relationship of Dhoni and his wife, Sakshi from the budding days of their romance. When the couple decided to get married, it was Basu who confirmed that it was a well-though out decision and not one that had been made in haste.

4. MSD's guilty pleasure is chicken butter masala

MSD feasting on chicken

Although the current Indian cricket team is known to be a stickler for health, especially with their captain Virat Kohli being a gym freak, MS Dhoni isn't without his share of guilty pleasures when it comes to food. Turns out, his sinful treat is chicken!

In an interview, Dhoni revealed that he is a foodie at heart and his favourite dishes include chicken butter masala, kebabs and chicken tikka pizza. For desserts, Mahi wouldn't say no to a good gajar ka halwa and kheer while milk is his favourite beverage.

3. Dhoni has the third highest dismissals as wicket-keeper in world cricket

MSD is renowned worldwide to be one of the best behind the stumps

Just like fine wine ages well, MS Dhoni keeps getting better and better. In his school days, he used to be a football goalkeeper from where he opted to become a cricket wicket-keeper. While this is a fact almost everyone knows owing to his biopic, few are aware of the feats that he's achieved in that particular arena.

In a combined tally of most dismissals behind the stumps in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, MSD comes third only behind Mark Boucher (998) and Adam Gilchrist (905). Mahi, in contrast, has 778 dismissals to his name, out of which 602 are catches while 176 are stumpings. In addition to his nimble skills with the gloves, MSD's quips behind the stumps are something to relish, indeed!

2. Only Shah Rukh Khan has more endorsements than MS Dhoni

Currently Dhoni has 20 endorsements in his kitty

When one of the biggest stars of the Hindi film industry is the only person ahead of you in the number of endorsements, you know you're popular! Apart from owning a lifestyle chain called SEVEN, MSD has 20 endorsements in his kitty. Back in 2015, he was even ranked 23rd in the list of the Top 100 paid athletes around the world.

Currently, MSD represents some of the biggest names in the market, including Orient Fans, Pepsi, Reebok and Net Meds. Although many were skeptical of the former Indian skipper being able to maintain his brand value after stepping down from captaincy, MSD has beaten the odds and how!

1.MSD's net worth is currently around $111 million

The swashbuckling cricketer deserves every bit of appreciation that he gets

When you're one of the most successful cricketers of all time that the nation has ever seen, you're bound to be prosperous too. Currently, MS Dhoni's net worth is estimated to be near about a whopping $111 million! Apart from dozens of endorsements, the 36-year old has made some very prudent business investments too.

Apart from owning the footwear section of his lifestyle brand SEVEN, Dhoni is the co-owner of several eminent sporting teams. These include Chennaiyin FC (which he co-owns with Abhishek Bachchan) in the Indian Super League, the Mahi Racing Team India in Supersport World Championship and the Ranchi Rays in Hockey India League.