Name-Game : From 'Maahi' to 'Thala'; know interesting story behind MS Dhoni's iconic monikers

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, known as the most successful captain of the Indian cricket team and a celebrated wicket-keeper batter, has won all three ICC tournaments under his leadership - the T20 World Cup in 2007, the ODI World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013. Additionally, he led the Indian Test team to the number one position in the ICC rankings. Dhoni is also one of the most beloved cricketers globally and has led the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles. He continues to play actively for the CSK franchise.

MS Dhoni’s nickname 

Born in Ranchi, the wicketkeeper-batter is affectionately known by several nicknames, the most famous being 'Maahi', a shortened version of his first name, Mahendra. This nickname was given to him during his childhood by family and friends.

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The second nickname, 'MS', was bestowed upon him by his teammates after he began representing the Indian team. It is an abbreviation of his first and middle names. Known for his calm and composed demeanor on the field, Dhoni earned the moniker 'Captain Cool' from his fans, a name that has become popular on social media. As Dhoni has led the CSK franchise to five titles, he is referred to as 'Thala' in Tamil Nadu, which means 'leader' or 'boss' in Tamil. This nickname reflects the respect he has garnered as the long-time captain of the team.

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MS Dhoni’s career  

MS Dhoni boasts one of the most illustrious careers among wicketkeeper-batters in India and is the second-highest run-scorer in ODIs after Kumar Sangakkara, being the second player to surpass the 10,000 run mark in this format. He made his debut for the Indian team in 2004 against Bangladesh and continued his international career until 2019. Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket in 2020. Over his career, he played 90 Test matches, scoring 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09, and in 350 ODIs, he amassed 10,773 runs at an average of 50.58. Dhoni was also named Player of the Match in the 2011 World Cup final.

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