Mahendra Singh DhoniBorn :July 7, 1981, Ranchi, Bihar
Current age : 24 years 100 days
Major teams :India, Jharkhand
Also known as : Mahi
Batting style : Right-hand bat
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
Cricket: India names Dhoni to one-day captaincy
Mahendra Singh Dhoni took a huge step toward one of the biggest jobs in world cricket on Tuesday when he was named captain of India for its series of one-day matches against Australia and Pakistan, to be played over the next two months.
Dhoni, 26, who is leading India in the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, can make a strong case for also taking charge of the five-day test team if he performs well in the one-day matches. The job carries the pressure of meeting the expectations of India's huge population for its highest-profile national sport but also the prospect of great wealth.
India's next five-day series, against Pakistan, does not start until Nov. 22. The alternative to Dhoni is believed to be Sachin Tendulkar, India's greatest contemporary cricketing hero, who was only moderately successful when he captained the team in 25 tests from 1996 to 2002.
