Mahendra Singh Dhoni is considered one of the greatest players to ever serve the Indian Cricket Team. He is known for his extraordinary wicketkeeping skills (swiftness behind the wickets) and leadership skills. MS Dhoni took over as the T20I & ODI team’s captain in 2007 and assumed leadership of all formats in 2008. Under his leadership, the Indian cricket team reached various milestones. The Indian team won 3 ICC Trophies- the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, under his guidance, making him the only captain to win three different limited-overs ICC tournaments. The Awards won by MS Dhoni show his stature in Indian Cricket.
The Humble Beginnings of MS Dhoni’s Career
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born in Ranchi, Jharkhand. He started his journey in sports as a goalkeeper in football, but gradually shifted to playing cricket due to his coach’s suggestion. In 1999, he made his Bihar first-class debut. He made his international cricketing debut in an ODI match against Bangladesh on 23rd December 2004.
List of Awards Won by MS Dhoni
| S. No. | AWARDS | YEAR |
| 1. | MTV Youth Icon of the Year | 2006 |
| 2. | Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award | 2008 |
| 3. | ICC ODI Player of the Year | 2008, 2009 |
| 4. | Padma Shri | 2009 |
| 5. | Honorary Lieutenant Colonel, Parachute Regiment of the Indian Territorial Army | 2011 |
| 6. | CNN-News 18 Indian of the Year | 2011 |
| 7. | Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year | 2011 |
| 8. | Honorary Doctorate | 2011 |
| 9. | ICC People’s Choice Award | 2013 |
| 10. | Padma Bhusan | 2018 |
| 11. | ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year | 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 |
| 12. | ICC Men’s ODI team of the decade(captain and wicket keeper) | 2011-2020 |
| 13. | ICC Spirit of the cricket award of the decade | 2011-2020 |
| 14. | ICC Men’s T20I team of the decade(captain and wicket keeper) | 2011-2020 |
| 15. | ICC Hall of Fame | 2025 |
Detailed Insights of Awards Won by MS Dhoni
- MTV Youth Icon of the Year 2006:
The TV station MTV India presents the MTV Youth Icon of the Year award every year. This honor was given to Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2006.
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna 2008:
This award is considered one of the most prestigious annual awards by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The recipients of the award get a medal, a certificate, and a cash prize of rupees 25 lakhs.
In 2008, MS Dhoni received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna as an honor. He got this honour after the Indian team won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007 under his captaincy.
- ICC ODI Player of the Year 2008,2009:
The ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year is an annual award presented by the International Cricket Council. This award has been presented since the year 2004.
MS Dhoni received this award for two consecutive years for his splendid performances in the ODI format for the Indian team.
- Padma Shri 2009:
The Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, awarded to individuals in various domains like art, education, industry, literature, and science, etc as the award is presented annually on Republic Day.
MS Dhoni received the Padma Shri Award in 2009 for his leadership and exceptional batting and wicket-keeping skills have been very instrumental for the Indian team.
- Honorary Lieutenant Colonel, Parachute Regiment of the Indian Territorial Army 2011:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was inducted into the 106th Infantry Battalion Territorial Army with the rank of Honorary Lieutenant Colonel by the President of India on 1st November 2011.
- CNN-News 18 Indian of the Year 2011:
The CNN-News 18 Indian of the Year awards, also known as IOTY, is bestowed upon the individuals who have made significant contributions to India across various fields.
MS Dhoni was granted the CNN-News 18 Indian of the Year award in 2011 for his major contributions in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.
- Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year 2011:
This award was presented by Castrol Private Limited to recognise and honour brilliant performances in cricket. The Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year was awarded to MS Dhoni for his splendid leadership and cricketing skills.
- Honorary Doctorate 2011:
MS Dhoni received an Honorary Doctorate from the Vice Chancellor of De Montfort University, Professor Dominic Shellard, after a Twenty20 practice match against Leicestershire.
- ICC People’s Choice Award 2013:
MS Dhoni won the ICC People’s Choice Award in 2013. The award recipient is chosen by fans. Fans vote for their favourite player online, and the results are combined with the voters from the Voting Academy.
- Padma Bhushan 2018:
India’s third-highest civilian honor is the Padma Bhusan. MS Dhoni was conferred with the Padma Bhusan award on 2nd April,2018 by the President Ram Nath Kovind
At the Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. He was given this award as he was the only Indian Captain to have won all three ICC Limited-over Trophies: the 2007 ICC World T20, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
- ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014:
The ICC ODI Team of the Year is an honour awarded annually by the International Cricket Council. The goal of the award is to honor the best cricket players in the world who compete in the ODI format.
MS Dhoni was named the captain of the ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year for the years 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
- ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Decade 2011-2020:
The annual ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Decade awards program honors the most notable players from the previous decade of international cricket. MS Dhoni was named as the captain and wicketkeeper of the ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Decade 2011-2020.
- ICC Spirit of the Cricket Award of the Decade 2011-2020:
The ICC Spirit of the Cricket Award of the Decade went to MS Dhoni in 2011 after he controversially retrieved Ian Bell from the crease after being given run out in a test match against England.
- ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Decade 2011-2020:
The ICC Men’s T20 Team of the Decade is an annual sports awards programme that recognises the standout performers and moments from the match from the past ten years of International cricket.
MS Dhoni was chosen as the captain and wicketkeeper for the ICC Men’s T20 Team of the Decade 2011-2020.
- ICC Cricket Hall of Fame 2025:
The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame acknowledges the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket’s long history. The ICC announced 7 new additions to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame recently.
In 2025, MS Dhoni’s name was added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
