Sri Lanka 8 Days 7 Nights July- August, 2012: Fill & Download for Free

The land of tantriks and black magic, India has enthralled generations and generations of scientists and researchers with mysteries that till today remain unsolved and unexplained. Let’s take a look at some of these mysteries of India that have baffled people throughout the ages.1.Krishna's ButterballKrishna's Butterball (also known as Vaan Irai Kal and Krishna's Gigantic Butterball) is a gigantic granite boulder resting on a short incline in the historical town of Mahabalipuram in India. The boulder is approximately 6 meters high and 5 meters wide and weighs around 250 tons. It stands on an approximately 1.2-meter (4 ft) base on a slope, and is said to have been at the same place for 1200 years.Ref: Krishna's Butterball - Wikipedia2.The red rain incidentThe Kerala red rain phenomenon was a blood rain event that occurred from 25 July to 23 September 2001, when heavy downpours of red-coloured rain fell sporadically on the southern Indian state of Kerala, staining clothes pink. Yellow, green, and black rain was also reported. Coloured rain was also reported in Kerala in 1896 and several times since, most recently in June 2012,and from 15 November 2012 to 27 December 2012 in eastern and north-central provinces of Sri Lanka.Ref:Red rain in Kerala - Wikipedia3. The origin of the Taj MahalIndian culture minister dragged into controversial legal case calling for Taj Mahal to be classified as a Hindu templeIndia’s government has been dragged into a bizarre row over whether the Taj Mahal, widely seen as a masterpiece of Muslim architecture, should be converted into a Hindu temple.A legal case, first brought by six lawyers in Agra in April, claims that the monument famously built by a seventeenth-century Mughal emperor as a tomb for his beloved wife was originally an ancient shrine to the Hindu god Shiva.The petition, which was accepted by the Agra Court, names a Hindu deity as its main plaintiff.Img source: File:Taj Mahal N-UP-A28-a.jpg - WikipediaData source:Was the Taj Mahal originally an ancient Hindu temple?4. The escape of civilians kuldhara village in RajasthanThis is the story of the village kuldhara near jaislamer in Rajasthan. Set back around 200 years ago, the people's of this village left this place overnight. How this is possible? What was the reason? Where they go? This is still a mystery.Img ref: Google images5. The shubash Chandra deathIndian nationalist leader Subhas Chandra Bose died from third-degree burns on 18 August 1945 after his overloaded Japanese plane crashed in Japanese-occupied Formosa (now Taiwan). However, many among his supporters, especially in Bengal, refused at the time, and have refused since, to believe either the fact or the circumstances of his death. Conspiracy theories appeared within hours of his death and have thereafter had a long shelf life, keeping alive various martial myths about Bose.Img as well as data ref:Death of Subhas Chandra Bose - Wikipedia6. Twin townGuess how the Kodinhi village in Kerala got the name of the Twin Village! This tiny little village has a population of 2000 people, out of which there are around 200 pairs of twins! Scientists have yet to figure the reason behind high twinning ratio in this village, while in the rest of the country it is markedly low.7. Shanti DeviNobody knows how Shanti Devi remembered minute details about her previous life, but from the young age of four she started talking about her house in Mathura and how she must return to her husband and kids. What’s uncanny is that her story and all details she gave about her past life collaborated with the facts upon intense research.8. Bullet babaWhen Om Banna got into an accident while riding his bullet and passed away, little did the country know that such mysterious events were to follow. The police towed the vehicle to their police station but it returned to the site of the accident the very next day. No matter how many times the police towed it away, locked it up, emptied it of any fuel, the bike would find its way back to the accident site.9. StonemanNote: Sorry for the messiness I forgot to check the answer twice before posting .I have edited this answer.The serial killer that went rampant first on the streets of earstwhile Bombay and then Calcutta still remains an unsolved mystery to this day. Given the title of Stoneman, this one or more murderer would roam the streets at night and select his victims from the street-dwellers and ragpickers, whose head they would bash in using a huge stone rock.10.Jatinga – bird suicideThis small village in Assam is popular for the massive numbers of bird deaths ocurring here every year. Especially on monsoon evenings, flocks of birds plunge from the skies into the village, and in the process end up hurting themselves and even dying.Ref:15 Mysteries Of India That You Won't Believe Are True! No.8 - Death of Subhas Chandra BoseCheers!Thanks for upvoting friends!:)

Shri George Fernades was himself used to wash his clothes and lived a very simple life.He never ironed his clothes.He was also one of man behind pokharan test as a defense minister.He was dead honest person..His life summary and works are as under.A native of Mangalore, Fernandes was sent to Bangalore in 1946 to be trained as a priest.In 1949, he moved to Bombay, where he joined the socialist trade union movement. Becoming a trade union leader, Fernandes organised many strikes and bandhs in Bombay in the 1950s and 1960s while working with the Indian Railways.He defeated S K Patil of Indian National Congress in the 1967 parliamentary elections from the South Bombay (now south Mumbai) constituency.He organised the 1974 Railway strike, when he was President of the All India Railwaymen's Federation.Fernandes went underground during the Emergency era of 1975, while challenging Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for imposing a state of emergency,but in 1976 he was arrested and tried in the infamous Baroda dynamite case.In 1977, after the Emergency had been lifted, Fernandes won the Muzaffarpur seat in Bihar in absentia and was appointed as Union Minister for Industries. During his tenure as union minister, he ordered American multinationals IBM and Coca-Cola to leave the country, due to investment violations.He was the driving force behind the Konkan Railwayproject during his tenure as railway minister from 1989 to 1990.He was a defence minister in the National Democratic Alliance(NDA) Government (1998–2004), when the Kargil War broke out between India and Pakistan, and India conducted its nuclear tests at Pokhran.A veteran socialist, Fernandes has been dogged by various controversies, including the Barak Missile scandal and the Tehelka affair. George Fernandes won nine Lok Sabha elections from 1967 to 2004.He died on 29 January 2019 at the age of 88.[Early lifeGeorge Fernandes was born on 3 June 1930 to John Joseph Fernandes and Alice Martha Fernandes (née Pinto), in Mangaluru then Mangalore to a Mangalorean Catholicfamily.The eldest of six children, his siblings are Lawrence, Michael, Paul, Aloysius, and Richard.His mother was a great admirer of King George V (who was also born on 3 June), hence she named her first son George. His father was employed by the Peerless Finance group as an insurance executive, and headed their office of South India for several years. George was fondly called "Gerry" in close family circles.He attended his first few years of schooling at a government school near his house called "Board school", a municipal school and a church school.He studied from fifth grade at the school attached to St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, where he completed his Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC).In an interview with E TV, he described his decision to stop studies after matriculation despite his father wishing him to study and become a lawyer.His premise was that he did not want to become a lawyer and fight cases for his father who often evicted tenants from a patch of land that they owned on the outskirts of Mangalore.He was instead enrolled in a seminary for studies to become a priest.He went to St Peter's Seminary in Bangalore at the age of 16, to be trained as a Roman Catholic priest, studying philosophy for two and a half years from 1946 to 1948.At the age of 19, he left the seminary due to sheer frustration because he was appalled that the rectors ate better food and sat at higher tables than the seminarians.He later confessed that, "I was disillusioned, because there was a lot of difference between precept and practice where the Church was concerned."Though he was born in a Christian family, he rejected religion, ran away from the seminary, and he was a practising freethinker.He began work at the age of 19, organising exploited workers in the road transport industry and in the hotels and restaurants in Mangalore.Life in MumbaiAfter leaving the seminary, Fernandes moved to Bombay in 1949 in search of a job. His life was tough in Bombay, and he had to sleep on the streets, until he got a job as a proofreader for a newspaper.He relates to the beginning of his career by saying, "When I came to Bombay, I used to sleep on the benches of Chowpatty Sands. In the middle of the night policemen used to come and wake me up and ask me to move on."He came into contact with veteran union leader Placid D'Mello, and the socialist Rammanohar Lohia, who were the greatest influences on his life.Later, he joined the socialist trade union movement.He rose to prominence as a trade unionist and fought for the rights of labourers in small scale service industries such as hotels and restaurants. Emerging as a key figure in the Bombay labour movement in the early 1950s, Fernandes was a central figure in the unionisation of sections of Bombay labour in the 1950s.As a labour organiser, he served many prison terms when his workforce engaged in fights with company goons.He served as a member of the Bombay Municipal Corporation from 1961 to 1968. He won in the civic election in 1961 and, until 1968, continuously raised the problems of the exploited workers in the representative body of the metropolis.The moment that thrust Fernandes into the limelight was his decision to contest the 1967 general election.He was offered a party ticket for the Bombay South constituency by the Samyukta Socialist Party against the more popular S. K. Patil of the Indian National Congress in Bombay. Patil was a seasoned politician, with two decades of experience. Nevertheless, Fernandes won by garnering 48.5 per cent of the votes, thus earning his nickname, "George the Giantkiller".The shocking defeat ended Patil's political career.Fernandes emerged as a key leader in the upsurge of strike actions in Bombay during the second half of the 1960s but, by the beginnings of the 1970s, the impetus of his leadership had largely disappeared.In 1969, he was chosen General Secretary of the Samyukta Socialist Party, and in 1973 became the Chairman of the Socialist Party.[After the 1970s, Fernandes failed to make major inroads in Bombay's growing private-sector industries.1974 railway strikeThe most notable strike organised by Fernandes, when he was President of theAll India Railwaymen's Federation, was the All India Railway strike of 1974, where the entire nation was brought to a halt.The strike was the result of grievances by railway workers that had been built up over two decades before the strike. Though there were three Pay commissions between 1947 and 1974, none of them increased the standard of living of the workers.In February 1974, the National Coordinating Committee for Railwaymen's Struggle (NCCRS) was formed to bring all the railway unions, the central trade unions and political parties in the Opposition together to prepare for the strike to start on 8 May 1974.In Bombay, electricity and transport workers, as well as taxi drivers joined the protests. In Gaya, Bihar, striking workers and their families squatted on the tracks.More than 10,000 workers of the Integral Coach Factory in Madras marched to the Southern Railway headquarters to express their solidarity with the striking workers. Similar protests erupted across the country.The strike, which started on 8 May 1974, at the time of economic crisis, provoked strong government reactions and massive arrests.According to Amnesty International, 30,000 trade unionists were detained, most held under preventive detention laws. Those arrested included not only members of the strike action committee and trade unionists, but also railwaymen who participated in the strike.The strike was called off unilaterally on 27 May 1974 by the Action Committee. As explained later by Fernandes, "the strike was called off because those conducting the strike had started speaking in different voices."Although large number of prisoners were released, among them Fernandes, thousands remained in detention, charged with specific offences.The strike led to a sense of insecurity and threat that led to Indira Gandhi's imposition of the Emergency era in 1975.Previous strikes were aimed at companies or industries, but this strike was aimed at the government and from its ramifications proved to be the most successful of disastrous industrial actions in Indian history.Emergency era and union ministryMain articles: The Emergency (India) and Baroda dynamite caseThe reigning Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, declared a state of emergency on 25 June 1975 due to internal political disturbances.Accordingly, all fundamental rights enjoyed in the Indian Constitution were suspended. Political dissidents, newspaper reporters, opposition leaders who opposed the emergency were jailed.George Fernandes, along with like-minded leaders, opposed what he saw as a blatant misuse of power.A warrant was issued in Fernandes' name and subsequently he went underground to escape arrest and prosecution. When the police failed to capture him, they arrested and tortured his brother, Lawrence Fernandes, to reveal his brother's whereabouts. Snehalata Reddy, a chronic asthmatic was arrested for being in touch with George Fernandes and, as she was not given adequate care in the prison, died soon after her release.In July 1975, Fernandes arrived in Baroda. There, he met Kirit Bhatt, who was president of Baroda Union of Journalists, and Vikram Rao, a staff correspondent of The Times of India at Baroda, both who opposed the Emergency. They used to meet and discuss on what could be done to topple the autocratic Indira Gandhi Government. An industrialist friend, Viren J. Shah, managing director of Mukand Ltd., helped them find contacts for procuring dynamite, used extensively in quarries around Halol (near Baroda). They aimed at blowing up toilets in government offices and cause explosions near the venue of public meetings to be addressed by Indira Gandhi. The idea was not to injure anybody, but only create a scare. The explosions were to be carried out either late in the night or hours before the public meeting was to begin to avoid injury.A plan was hatched to blow up a dais four hours before Indira Gandhi was to address a meeting in Varanasi. The conspiracy later came to be known as the infamous Baroda dynamite case.According to Bhatt, there were two more plans that never worked out. Fernandes also wanted to rob a train used to carry weapons from Pimpri (near Poona) to Bombay. The weapons were to be used to blast government offices. Yet another plan was to take the help of other countries by using ham radio.]On 10 June 1976, he was finally arrested in Calcutta on charges of smuggling dynamite to blow up government establishments in protest against the imposition of emergency, in what came to be known as the Baroda dynamite case.]After his arrest, Amnesty International members cabled the Government requesting that he be given immediate access to a lawyer and that his physical protection be guaranteed.]Three world leaders from Germany, Norway and Austria were believed to have cabled Indira Gandhi and cautioned her against harming Fernandes.From Baroda, the accused were shifted to Tihar Jail. The accused were never chargesheeted.]Union Minister and Muzaffarpur MP post-1977EditAfter the emergency was subsided in January 1977, so that elections could be held on 21 March 1977 in India. The Congress Party, led by Indira Gandhi, suffered a defeat at the hands of the Janata Party, a coalition created in 1977 out of several small parties that opposed Gandhi's Emergency era.][36]The Janata Party and its allies came to power, headed by Morarji Desai, who became the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India.]Fernandes won the Muzaffarpur seat in Bihar by an over 300,000 vote margin in 1977 from jail where he was lodged in the Baroda dynamite case,]despite his not even visiting the constituency.39]He was also appointed the Union Minister for Industries.]During his union ministership, he clashed with American multinationals IBM and Coca-Cola insisting they implement FERA, the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, which had been passed under Indira Gandhi's government. Under the FERA, foreign investors could not own more than 40 per cent of the share capital in Indian enterprises.The two multinationals decided to shut down their Indian operations, when Fernandes pressed ahead with rigid enforcement of FERA.]During his first tenure as MP, Fernandes set up a Doordarshan Kendra (1978), Kanti Thermal Power Station (1978) and the Lijjat papadfactory to generate employment in Muzaffarpur.]]Fernandes also insisted on women's empowerment. In November 2014, Kanti Thermal Power Station was renamed as George Fernandes Thermal Power Station (GFTPS).]Party memberships and railway ministryFernandes (left) with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2000During his tenure as a minister in the Janata Party, he continued to be uncomfortable with certain elements of the broad-based Janata coalition, especially with the leaders of the erstwhile Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Jan Sangh in the Union Cabinet.In a debate preceding a vote of confidence two years into the government's tenure in 1979, he vehemently spoke out against the practice of permitting members to retain connections to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) while being in the ministry in the Janata Party. The leaders of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, among them Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani, refused to give up their allegiance with the RSS, leading to a split within the Janata Party.The issue of "dual membership" caused Morarji Desai to lose the vote of confidence, and his government was reduced to a minority in the Lok Sabha.]After the Janata Party started disintegrating in 1979, Charan Singh left it to form the Janata (Secular) Party and with support from the Congress Party, replaced Desai as Prime Minister.]In the seventh general elections held in 1980, the Janata (Secular) ministry failed to maintain a majority in the Lok Sabha, and Congress once again became the ruling party.Fernandes retained his Parliamentary seat from Muzaffarpur in 1980, and sat in the opposition.He contested for the Lok Sabhain 1984 from Bangalore North constituency against future Railway minister and Congress candidate C. K. Jaffer Sheriff, but lost the election by a margin of 40,000 voteHe then decided to shift his base to Bihar in 1989, when an anti-Congress wave was sweeping the country in the wake of the Bofors scandal,and won Muzaffarpur in the 1989and 1991 general elections,He later joined the Janata Dal, a party which was formed from the Janata Party at Bangalore in August 1988.His second tenure as Minister of Railways in the V. P. Singh's government from 1989 to 1990, though short-lived, was quite eventful.He was one of the driving forces behind the Konkan Railway project, connecting Mangalore with Bombay.The project happened to be the first major development in the history of rail transport in India since independence.]Fernandes broke away from the erstwhile Janata Dal and formed the Samata Partywhich became a key ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a party which is the current form of the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh.BJP formed a short-lived government in the 1996 general electionsalong with the Samata Party and other allies. The government survived only for 13 days, since the BJP could not gather enough support from other parties to form a majority.Fernandes later served in the opposition along with BJP during the two United Front governments (1996–1998) led by Janata Dal ministers H. D. Deve Gowda and Inder Kumar Gujral.After the collapse of the United Front ministry led by Gujral, BJP and its allies won a slender majority in the 1998 general elections. The government lasted only for 13 months, due to the non-co-operation of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader Jayalalitha.After the collapse of the second BJP-led coalition government, BJP and its allies formed a 24 party alliance called National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which became the first non-Congress coalition government in post-independence India to survive a full five-year term (1999–2004).Later, Fernandes became the convenor of NDA.On 27 July 1999, the Janata Dal again split into two factions, the Janata Dal (United) and the Janata Dal (Secular).In 2003, Fernandes reunited with the Janata Dal (United), and also merged his Samata Party with it.Defence ministerEditMain articles: Kargil War and Pokhran-IIFernandes (left) with US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in 2002Fernandes served as the Defence Minister of India in both the second and third National Democratic Alliance governments (1998–2004). During his tenure as the defence minister, the Kargil war over Kashmir broke out between India and Pakistan in 1999.The war began when heavily armed Pakistan-backed intruders dug themselves in at heights of 16,000 feet (4,900 m) – 18,000 feet (5,500 m) on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LOC) along an 80 kilometres (50 mi) stretch north of Kargil. They began attacking the strategic highway linking Srinagar and Leh.As a result, the Indian army undertook the Operation Vijay to push back the Pakistani intruders and regain the occupied territories.]The inability of the Indian intelligence and military agencies to detect the infiltration early received criticism, both by the opposition as well as the media. However, Fernandes has refused to acknowledge the failure of intelligence agencies in detecting infiltration along Kargil sector.]In May 1998, India conducted five nuclear tests at the Pokharan range in Rajasthan.Earlier a staunch supporter of nuclear disarmament, Fernandes openly endorsed the NDA government's decision to test the nuclear bombs.He was also involved in skirmishes with the then Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, Vishnu Bhagwat, over promotion of Vice-Admiral Harinder Singh as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. Bhagwat was subsequently sacked over the issue.After the Tehelka defence scandal broke out in March 2001, Fernandes quit as defence minister, but was reappointed to the post later.Fernandes is the only defence minister of a nuclear power who had a picture of Hiroshima bombing in his office. He made 18 visits to the icy heights of the 6,600 metres (4.1 mi) Siachen glacier in Kashmir, which holds the record of being "the world's highest battlefield".He was known for overseeing a huge increase in India's defence budget as compared to the allocations made by previous governments.[MMAfter the defence ministershipEditThe NDA Government lost power to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance(UPA) in the 2004 general elections.[71]Later, political observers alleged that Fernandes was locked in a bitter party rivalry with his one-time friend, Samata Party co-founder, Nitish Kumar.[72]In the 2009 general elections, he contested from Muzaffarpur as an independent candidate after being denied a ticket by the Janata Dal (United) on health grounds,[73]but he lost the election.[74]On 30 July 2009, Fernandes filed his nomination as an independent candidate for the mid-term poll being held for the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav.[75]The Janata Dal (United) did not field any candidate against him, which led to his being elected unopposed. He was sworn in on 4 August 2009.[76]Other activitiesEditSupport to secessionist groups in Sri LankaEditFernandes supported and endorsed many secessionist movements and groups. He was a long time supporter of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), an organisation which sought to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka.[77]Before 1997, he organised a controversial public convention of pro-LTTE delegates in New Delhi.[77]In July 1998, he reportedly prevented the Indian Navy from intercepting ships that were suspected of carrying illegal weapons to Tamil guerrilla groups.[77]Fernandes was also a patron of the Fund Raising Committee backed by the LTTE, with an objective to help the 26 accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.[77]The Sri Lankan government stated that, "the LTTE's biggest supporter in India is Defence Minister George Fernandes."[77]He also expressed support for Tibetan refugees fighting for freedom against China, and Burmese pro-democratic rebel groups fighting against the military government in Myanmar.[78]He revealed the infamous "Operation Leech" incident, which resulted in the capture of Arakan Army insurgents on one of India's islands in the Andaman Sea. He also fought for the welfare and release of anti-Burmese rebels held by the Indian Government.[79]CIA fundingEditMain article: Kissinger cablesDuring the Emergency, as chairman of the Socialist Party of India, he faced prosecution for alleged conspiracy against the government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.[80]He allegedly sought to obtain funding from the US Central Intelligence Agency and the French government to organise underground sabotage activities. US diplomatic cables said that after an initial request to seek funding from the French government was turned down, he was "prepared to accept money from the CIA".[80]Tehelka scandalEditMain article: Operation West EndFernandes' name figured prominently in Operation West End, a sting operation in which journalist Mathew Samuel, armed with hidden cameras, from a controversial investigative journal, Tehelka, posing as representatives of a fictitious arms company, appeared to bribe the Bharatiya Janata PartyPresident, Bangaru Laxman, a senior officer in the Indian Army and Jaya Jaitly, the General Secretary of the Samata Party and Fernandes' companion.[81]The scandal caused uproar all over India and Fernandes was forced to resign from his post as a Defence Minister. He was subsequently cleared by the one man commission headed by retired Justice Phukan. The Phukan Committee Report was rejected by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government headed by the Congress Party and a new committee headed by Justice K Venkataswami was appointed. The Committee investigated the case in detail, but Justice Venkataswami resigned before submitting the report in the case.[82]Barak Missile scandalEditMain article: Barak Missile scandalOn 10 October 2006, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a First information report (FIR) against Fernandes, his associate Jaya Jaitly, and former navy chief Admiral Sushil Kumar for alleged irregularities in purchasing the ₹7 billion(US$97 million) Barak 1 system from Israel in 2000.[83]Fernandes, however, said that the scientific adviser to the Defence Minister in National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government (1998–2004), who later became the President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, had cleared the missile deal.[83]As defence ministerEditFollowing the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998, he openly branded China as "India's enemy number one".[84]He later expressed regret for his statements, saying it was wrongly interpreted by the media.[7][70]He has also criticised China for providing sophisticated weapons to Pakistan to build its missiles, and has rapped the Chinese for strengthening their military across the Himalayas in Tibet.[70]Fernandes has claimed that he was strip searched twice at Dulles Airport in the US Capital area, when he was defence minister—once on an official visit to Washington in early 2002 and another time while en route to Brazil in mid-2003. The details of the strip-search were mentioned in American foreign policy analyst Strobe Talbott's book Engaging India – Diplomacy, Democracy and the Bomb.[85]However, the US embassy in Delhi issued a formal denial that Fernandes had been strip-searched,[86]and said that, "Fernandes was not strip-searched but a security wand was waved over him when a key in his pocket set off the metal detector."[87]Subsequently, the then United States Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, personally apologised to Fernandes over the matter.[87]This was one in a series of incidents involving the detention and search of Indian VIPs at US airports that marred Indian–US relations post 9/11.[88]He was accused in the 2002 coffin scam, following allegations that 500 poor quality aluminium caskets were bought from the United States at rates 13 times more than the actual price, to transport the bodies of slain soldiers, after the Kargil War.[89]However, the CBI gave a clean sheet to Fernandes in the scam in its 2009 charge sheet.[90]Critics have charged the Congress Party for hounding George Fernandes for speaking out against Sonia Gandhi and the Nehru dynasty as looters.[91]Writings, journalism and other contibutionsEditFernandes liked writing and journalism in his student days. He was the editor of a Konkani language monthly Konkani Yuvak (Konkani Youth) in 1949. The same year, he was the editor of the Raithavani weekly in Kannada.[92]The Dockman weekly in English, which had ceased publication, reappeared under the editorship of Fernandes in 1952–53.[93]Though not a prolific writer, Fernandes wrote several books on politics including What Ails the Socialists (1972),[94]Socialist Communist Interaction in India,[95]In the year of the disabled: India's disabled government(1981),[96]Dignity for All: Essays in Socialism and Democracy (1991),[97]and his autobiography titled George Fernandes Speaks(1991).[98]He was the editor of an English monthly, The Other Side, and the chairman of the editorial board of the Hindi monthly Pratipaksh.[4]A human rights activist, Fernandes was been a member of Amnesty International, the People's Union for Civil Liberties and the Press Council of India.[99]Family and personal lifeEditFernandes met Leila Kabir, the daughter of former Union minister Humayun Kabir, on a flight back to Delhi from Calcutta. Fernandes, then the general secretary of the Samyukta Socialist Party, was returning from Bangladesh while Kabir was on her way back from the battlefront where she had gone as an assistant director of the Red Cross. They began dating and were married on 22 July 1971.[100]They had a son, Sean Fernandes, who is an investment banker based in New York.[101]Fernandes and Kabir separated in the mid-1980s.[101]Jaya Jaitly was Fernandes' companion from 1984.[101]Fernandes spoke ten languages—Konkani, English, Hindi, Tulu, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Malayalam, and Latin. Konkani was his mother tongue. He learnt Marathi and Urdu in jail, and Latin while he was in the seminary in his early youth. He was fluent in Hindi and English.[102]Fernandes was reported to be suffering from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and in January 2010 was undergoing treatment at Baba Ramdev's ashram at Haridwar[103]for the diseases at the request of Leila Kabir, who had recently returned to his life.[104]In February 2010, Fernandes' brothers were reported to have been considering a court order for medical treatment and visitation; Kabir and Sean Fernandes are alleged to have forcibly removed Fernandes to an undisclosed location.[105]In July 2010, the Delhi High Court ruled that Fernandes would stay with Kabir and that Fernandes' brothers would be able to visit.[106]In August 2012 the Supreme Court of Indiagranted permission to Jaya Jaitly, a former aide, to visit him, a move which was opposed by his wife on the ground of her locus standi.[107]He died at the age of 88 on 29 January 2019, in Delhi following a prolonged illness.Thanks.Courtesy; Google.

MS DhoniDhoni in January 2016Personal informationFull nameMahendra Singh Pan Singh DhoniBorn7 July 1981 (age 37)Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand), IndiaNicknameMahi, Captain Cool, Thala, MSDHeight5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)BattingRight-handedBowlingRight-arm mediumRoleWicket-keeper batsmanInternational informationNational sideIndia (2004-Present)Test debut (cap 251)2 December 2005 v Sri LankaLast Test26 December 2014 v AustraliaODI debut (cap 158)23 December 2004 v BangladeshLast ODI1 November 2018 v West IndiesODI shirt no.7T20I debut (cap 2)1 December 2006 v South AfricaLast T20I8 July 2018 v EnglandT20I shirt no.7Domestic team informationYearsTeam1999/00–2003/04Bihar2004/05–presentJharkhand2008–2015; 2018-presentChennai Super Kings(squad no. 7)2016–2017Rising Pune Supergiant(squad no. 7)Career statisticsCompetitionTestODIT20IsFCMatches9033293131Runs scored4,87610,1731,4877,038Batting average38.0950.1137.1736.84100s/50s6/3310/670/29/47Top score224183*56224Balls bowled9636–126Wickets01–0Bowling average–31.00––5 wickets in innings–0––10 wickets in match–0––Best bowling–1/14––Catches/stumpings256/38310/11554/33364/57Source: ESPNcricinfo, 1 November 2018Mahendra Singh Dhoni (pronunciation (help·info); commonly known as MS Dhoni; born July 07, 1981) is an Indian international cricketer who captained the Indian national team in limited-overs formats from 2007 to 2016 and in Test cricket from 2008 to 2014. An attacking right-handed middle-order batsman and wicket-keeper, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest finishers in limited-overs cricket.[1][2][3][4]He is also regarded as one of the best wicket-keepers in world cricket.[5][6]He made his One Day International (ODI) debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh, and played his first Test a year later against Sri Lanka.Dhoni has been the recipient of many awards, including the ICC ODI Player of the Year award in 2008 and 2009 (the first player to win the award twice), the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2007, the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour, in 2009 and the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour, in 2018.[7]He was named as the captain of the ICC World Test XI in 2009, 2010 and 2013. He has also been selected a record 8 times in ICC World ODI XI teams, 5 times as captain. The Indian Territorial Army conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel[8]to Dhoni on 1 November 2011. He is the second Indian cricketer after Kapil Dev to receive this honour.Dhoni also holds numerous captaincy records such as the most wins by an Indian captain in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, and most back-to-back wins by an Indian captain in ODIs. He took over the ODI captaincy from Rahul Dravid in 2007 and led the team to its first-ever bilateral ODI series wins in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, 2007–08 Commonwealth Bank Series, the 2010 and 2016Asia Cups, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. In the final of the 2011 World Cup, Dhoni scored 91 not out off 79 balls handing India the victory for which he was awarded the Man of the Match. In June 2013, when India defeated England in the final of the Champions Trophy in England, Dhoni became the first captain to win all three ICC limited-overs trophies (World Cup, Champions Trophy and the World Twenty20). After taking up the Test captaincy in 2008, he led the team to series wins in New Zealand and the West Indies, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2008, 2010 and 2013. In 2009, Dhoni also led the Indian team to number one position for the first time in the ICC Test rankings. In 2013, under his captaincy, India became the first team in more than 40 years to whitewash Australia in a Test series. In the Indian Premier League, he captained the Chennai Super Kings to victory at the 2010, 2011 and 2018 seasons, along with wins in the 2010 and 2014 editions of Champions League Twenty20. He announced his retirement from Tests on 30 December 2014.[9]In 2011, Time magazine included Dhoni in its annual Time 100 list as one of the "Most Influential People in the World."[10]In 2012, SportsPro rated Dhoni as the sixteenth most marketable athlete in the world.[11]In June 2015, Forbes ranked Dhoni at 23rd in the list of highest paid athletes in the world, estimating his earnings at US$31 million.[12]In 2016, a biopic M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story was made about him.Dhoni holds the post of Vice-President of India Cements Ltd., after resigning from Air India. India Cements is the owner of the IPL team Chennai Super Kings, and Dhoni has been its captain since the first IPL season.[13][14]Dhoni is the co-owner of Indian Super League team Chennaiyin FC.[15]ContentsEarly Life & BackgroundDhoni was born in Ranchi, Bihar (now in Jharkhand),[16]and he identifies as a Hindu Rajput.[17]His paternal village Lvali is in the Lamgarha block of the Almora District of Uttarakhand. Dhoni's parents moved from Uttarakhand to Ranchi, where his father Pan Singh worked in junior management positions in MECON. Dhoni has a sister Jayanti Gupta and a brother Narendra Singh Dhoni.[18][19]Dhoni is a fan of Adam Gilchrist, and his childhood idols were cricket teammate Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and singer Lata Mangeshkar[20][21]Dhoni studied at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, Ranchi, Jharkhand where he initially excelled in badminton and football and was selected at district and club level in these sports. Dhoni was a goalkeeper for his football team and was sent to play cricket for a local cricket club by his football coach. Though he had not played cricket, Dhoni impressed with his wicket-keeping skills and became the regular wicketkeeper at the Commando cricket club (1995–1998). Based on his performance at club cricket, he was picked for the 1997/98 season Vinoo Mankad Trophy Under-16 Championship and he performed well.[19]Dhoni focused on cricket after his 10th standard.[22]Dhoni was a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) at Kharagpur railway station from 2001 to 2003, under South Eastern Railway in Midnapore (W), a district in West Bengal.[23][24][25]His colleagues remember him as a very honest, straightforward employee of the Indian Railways. But he also had a mischievous side to his personality. Once, while staying at the railway quarters, Dhoni and a couple of his friends covered themselves in white bedsheets and walked around in the complex late in the night. The night guards were fooled into believing that there were ghosts moving around in the complex. The story made big news on the next day.[26][27][28]Early careerJunior cricket in BiharIn 1998, Dhoni was selected by Deval Sahay to play for the Central Coal Fields Limited (CCL) team.[29]Till 1998 Dhoni, who was in class 12th in school, had played only school cricket and club cricket and no professional cricket. One of the famous episodes, when Dhoni used to play for CCL, was when Deval Sahay used to gift him Rs 50 for each six that he hit in Sheesh Mahal tournament cricket matches.[30]Playing for CCL, he got a chance to bat up the order. He grabbed the opportunity and scored centuries and helped CCL move to the A division. Deval Sahay impressed by his hard-hitting shots and dedication, used his contacts in Bihar Cricket Association to push for his selection in the Bihar team.[31]Deval Sahay, an ex Bihar Cricket Association Vice-President, was the Ranchi District Cricket President at that time and was instrumental in pushing Dhoni to the big stage of Ranchi team, junior Bihar cricket team and eventually senior Bihar Ranji Team for the 1999–2000 season. Within 1 year, Dhoni moved from playing in CCL to the Bihar Ranji team. Dhoni was included in the Bihar U-19 squad for the 1998–99 season and scored 176 runs in 5 matches (7 innings) as the team finished fourth in the group of six and did not make it to the quarter-finals. Dhoni was not picked for the East Zone U-19 squad (CK Nayudu Trophy) or Rest of India squad (MA Chidambaram Trophy and Vinoo Mankad Trophy). Bihar U-19 cricket team advanced to the finals of 1999–2000 Cooch Behar Trophy, where Dhoni made 84 to help Bihar post a total of 357.[32]Bihar's efforts were dwarfed by Punjab U-19s' 839 with Dhoni's future national squad teammate Yuvraj Singh making 358.[33][34]Dhoni's contribution in the tournament included 488 runs (9 matches, 12 innings), 5 fifties, 17 catches and 7 stumpings.[35]Dhoni made it to the East Zone U-19 squad for the CK Nayudu trophy[36]but scored only 97 runs[37]in four matches, as East Zone lost all four matches and finished last in the tournament.[38]Bihar cricket teamDhoni made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar in the 1999–2000 season, as an eighteen-year-old. He made a half century in his debut match scoring 68* in the second innings against Assam cricket team.[39]Dhoni finished the season with 283 runs in 5 matches. Dhoni scored his maiden first-class century while playing for Biharagainst Bengal in the 2000/01 season, in a losing cause.[40]Apart from this century, his performance in the 2000/01 season[41]did not include another score over fifty and in the 2001/02 season, he scored just five fifties in four Ranji matches.[42]Jharkhand cricket teamDhoni's performance in the 2002–03 season included three half-centuries in the Ranji Trophy and a couple of half-centuries in the Deodhar Trophy, as he started gaining recognition for his lower-order contribution as well as hard-hitting batting style. In the 2003/04 season, Dhoni scored a century (128*) against Assam in the first match of the Ranji ODI tournament. Dhoni was part of the East Zone squad that won the Deodhar Trophy 2003–2004 season[43][44]and contributed with 244 runs in 4 matches,[45]including a century (114) against Central zone.[46]In the Duleep Trophy finals, Dhoni was picked over international cricketer Deep Dasgupta to represent East Zone.[47]He scored a fighting half-century in the second innings in a losing cause.[48]Dhoni's talent was discovered via the BCCI's small-town talent-spotting initiative TRDW. Dhoni was discovered by TRDO Prakash Poddar, captain of Bengal in the 1960s, when he saw Dhoni play for Jharkhand at a match in Jamshedpur in 2003, and sent a report to the National Cricket Academy.[49]India A teamHe was recognised for his efforts in the 2003/04 season, especially in the One Day format and was picked for the India A squad for a tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya.[50]Against the Zimbabwe XI in Harare Sports Club, Dhoni had his best wicket-keeping effort with 7 catches and 4 stumpings in the match.[51]In the tri-nation tournament involving Kenya, India A and Pakistan A, Dhoni helped India A chase down their target of 223 against Pakistan A with a half-century.[52]Continuing his good performance, he scored back to back centuries – 120[53]and 119*[54]– against the same team. Dhoni scored 362 runs in 6 innings at an average of 72.40 and his performance in the series received attention from the then Indian captain – Sourav Ganguly[55]and Ravi Shastri, amongst others.ODI careerStart of ODI careerThe Indian ODI team in the early 2000s saw Rahul Dravid as the wicket-keeper to ensure that the wicket-keeper spot didn't lack in batting talent.[55]The team also saw the entry of wicket-keeper/batsmen from the junior ranks, with talents like Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik (both India U-19 captains) named in the Test squads.[55]With Dhoni making a mark in the India A squad, he was picked in the ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour in 2004/05.[56]Dhoni did not have a great start to his ODI career, getting run out for a duck on debut.[57]In spite of an average series against Bangladesh, Dhoni was picked for the Pakistan ODI series.[58]Start of "Dhoni" eraIn the second match of the series, Dhoni, in his fifth one-day international, scored 148 in Visakhapatnam off only 123 deliveries. Dhoni's 148 surpassed the earlier record for the highest score by an Indian wicket-keeper,[59]a record that he would re-write before the end of the year.Dhoni had few batting opportunities in the first two games of the Sri Lankan bilateral ODI series (October–November 2005) and was promoted to No. 3 in the third ODI at Sawai Mansingh Stadium (Jaipur). Sri Lanka had set India a target of 299 after a Kumar Sangakkara century and, in reply, India lost Tendulkar early. Dhoni was promoted to accelerate the scoring and ended the game with an unbeaten 183 off 145 balls, winning the game for India.[60]The innings was described in Wisden Almanack (2006) as 'Uninhibited, yet anything but crude'.[61]The innings set various records including the highest individual score in ODI cricket in the second innings,[62]a record that still stands. Dhoni ended the series with the highest run aggregate (346)[63]and was awarded the Man of the Series award for his efforts. In December 2005, Dhoni was rewarded a B-grade contract by the BCCI.[64]Dhoni bowling in the nets. He rarely bowls at international level.India scored 328 in 50 overs with Dhoni contributing 68 in their first match of 2006 against Pakistan. However, the team finished poorly scoring just 43 runs in the last eight overs and lost the match due to Duckworth-Lewis method.[65]In the third match of the series, Dhoni came in with India in a precarious situation and scored 72 runs off just 46 balls that included 13 boundaries to help India take a 2–1 lead in the series.[66][67]The final match of the series had a repeat performance as Dhoni scored 77 runs off 56 balls to enable India win the series 4–1.[68]Due to his consistent ODI performances, Dhoni overtook Ricky Ponting as number one in the ICC ODI Rankings for batsmen on 20 April 2006 becoming the fastest batsman to do so, in 42 innings.[69]His reign lasted just a week as Adam Gilchrist's performance against Bangladesh moved him to the top spot.[70]Two cancelled series in Sri Lanka, one due to the withdrawal of South Africa from the Unitech Cup due to security concerns[71]and the replacement three-match ODI bilateral series against Sri Lanka washed due to rain,[72]was India's prelude to another disappointing tournament – DLF Cup 2006-07. Dhoni scored 43 runs as the team lost twice in three games and did not qualify for the finals. India's lack of preparation showed in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy as they lost to West Indies and Australia, though Dhoni scored a half-century against West Indies. The story of the ODI series in South Africa was the same for both Dhoni and India as Dhoni scored 139 runs in 4 matches and India lost the series 4–0. From the start of the West Indies ODI series, Dhoni had played 16 matches, hit just two fifties and averaged 25.93. Dhoni received criticism on his wicket-keeping technique from former wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani.[73]2007 World CupPreparations for the 2007 Cricket World Cup improved as India recorded identical 3–1 victories over West Indies and Sri Lanka and Dhoni had averages in excess of 100 in both these series.India unexpectedly crashed out of the World Cup after losses to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the group stage. Dhoni was out for a duck in both these matches and scored just 29 runs in the tournament. After the loss to Bangladesh in 2007 Cricket World Cup, the house that Dhoni was constructing in his home-town Ranchi was vandalised and damaged by political activists of JMM.[74]The local police arranged for security for his family as India exited the World Cup in the first round.[75]Dhoni put his disappointing performances in the World Cup behind him by scoring 91* against Bangladesh, after India were left in a tight spot earlier in the run-chase. Dhoni was declared the Man of the Match for his performance, his fourth in ODI cricket. He was also later adjudged the Man of the Series after the third game of the series was washed away. Dhoni had a good Afro-Asia Cup, scoring 174 runs in 3 matches at an average of 87.00, with a blitzkrieg 139 not out off 97 balls, a Man of the Match innings, in the third ODI.Dhoni was named vice-captain of the ODI team for the series against South Africa in Ireland and the subsequent India-England seven-match ODI series.[76]Dhoni, who received a 'B' grade contract in December 2005, was awarded an 'A' grade contract in June 2007. He was also elected as the captain of the Indian squad for the World Twenty20 in September 2007. On 2 September 2007, Dhoni equalled his idol Adam Gilchrist's international record for the most dismissals in an innings in ODI by catching five English players and stumping one.[77]Rise through ranksDuring the series between India and Australia in 2009, Dhoni hit an aggressive 124 runs in just 107 balls, in the second ODI, and a measured knock of 71 runs in 95 balls, along with Yuvraj Singh and saw India home by 6 wickets in the third ODI. Dhoni took his first wicket in international cricket on 30 September 2009. He bowled Travis Dowlin of the West Indies during a match of the 2009 Champions Trophy.Dhoni batting against South Africa during the group stage match of 2013 ICC Champions TrophyDhoni topped the ICC ODI Batsman rankings for several months in 2009. Michael Hussey from Australia replaced him at the top spot at the beginning of 2010.[78]Dhoni had an excellent year in ODIs in 2009, scoring 1198 runs in just 24 innings, at an astonishing average of 70.43. Dhoni was also the joint top-scorer in ODIs in 2009 along with Ricky Ponting, but the latter having played 30 innings.The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 kicked off in the subcontinent and Dhoni-led India were seen as "favorites". Although Dhoni didn't had a good show with the bat averaging just 30.0 in seven innings and managing 150 runs, India reached the finals with victories over Australia and Pakistan in quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively. Chasing a target of 275 in the final against Sri Lanka, Dhoni rescued his team alongside Gautam Gambhir, and later Yuvraj Singh to help India lift their second World Cup title since 1983. He scored 91 not out, finishing the game with a historical six and claiming the Man of the Match award.Post 2011 World CupIn 2012, Pakistan toured India for a bilateral series for the first time in five years. In the three-match ODI series, Dhoni top scored for India in all three innings; however India lost the series 1-2. In the first ODI at Chennai, he helped India recover from 29/5 to help post a total of 227 in 50 overs. Playing a knock of 113 not out, he had a record partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin. Yet, he bagged the Man of the Match award in a losing cause.Winning the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, Dhoni became the first and till date the only captain in international cricket to claim all ICC tournaments. In the rain-shortened final against England, he was out for a duck and thus ending up the tournament with 27 runs with two innings. However, with his field placements and tactics, the team was successful beating the opposition by five runs (D/L method).In November 2013, Dhoni became the second India batsman after Sachin Tendulkar to aggregate 1,000 or more ODI-runs against Australia.[79]India toured South Africa and New Zealand in the 2013-14 season and ending up losing both ODI series 0-2 and 0-4 respectively. Against South Africa, Dhoni managed 84 runs at an average of 48.0, including one half-century. Against New Zealand, he managed 272 runs which included three consecutive 50-plus scores. In the third match of the series, his knock of 50 helped India tie the match and eventually avoiding a series whitewash. Meanwhile, he scored his 8000th run in ODI cricket on the tour.India won the away ODI series in England in 2014 by 3-1 and series against West Indies in India by 2-1 margin. Dhoni had a good performance with the bat scoring a half century in each of the series.2015 World CupIndia's preparation, going into the tournament, looked poor as India failed badly in the Carlton Mid Triangular Series in Australia, failing to win a single match. Dhoni himself managed just 70 runs from three innings averaging 23.34.During the 2015 Cricket World Cup, Dhoni became the first Indian captain to win all group stages matches in such a tournament. India achieved wins against arch-rivals Pakistan, South Africa (whom they hadn't beaten before in a World Cup game), the United Arab Emirates, the West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe. In the match against Zimbabwe, he made 85 not out chasing 288 and had an unbeaten partnership of 195 with Suresh Raina. Beating Bangladesh in the quarter finals, he became the third overall and the first non-Australian captain to win 100 ODI matches. In an unsuccessful effort against eventual champions Australia in the semi finals, he made 65 as India were unable to defend their title.Quitting captaincy and thereafterDhoni stepped down as captain of India in the limited over formats in January 2017, just ahead of the ODI series at home against England.[80]In the second game of the series, he scored 134 off 122 balls, that included a 256-run partnership for the fourth wicket along with Yuvraj Singh. The hundred, his tenth in ODIs, was his first in over three years.[81]In August 2017, against Sri Lanka, he became the first wicketkeeper to effect 100 stumpings surpassing the earlier record held by Kumar Sangakkara (99).On 8 February 2018, Dhoni became the first Indian wicket-keeper to effect 400 dismissals in ODI cricket, he achieved this feat during the third ODI against South Africafollowing the stumping of Aiden Markram.[82]On 14 July 2018 during the second ODI against England, Dhoni became the first wicket-keeper for India and also became the fourth overall to take 300 catches in ODIs.[83]In the same match, he set another milestone for becoming the fourth Indian and the 12th overall player to reach 10,000 runs in ODI cricket, in fact went onto become only the second wicket-keeper batsman after Kumar Sangakkara to score 10,000 runs in ODIs.[84]Test careerFollowing his good one-day performance against Sri Lanka, Dhoni replaced Dinesh Karthik in December 2005 as the Indian teams' Test wicket-keeper.[85]Dhoni scored 30 runs in his debut match, that was marred by rain. Dhoni came to the crease when the team was struggling at 109/5 and as wickets kept falling around him, he played an aggressive innings in which he was the last man to be dismissed.[86]Dhoni made his maiden half-century in the second Test and his quick scoring rate (half century came off 51 balls) helped India set a target of 436 and the Sri Lankans were bowled out for 247.[87]India toured Pakistan in January–February 2006 and Dhoni scored his maiden century in the second Test at Faisalabad. India was in a tight spot when Dhoni along with Irfan Pathan tried to steady the ship, with the team still needing 107 runs to avoid a follow-on. Dhoni played in his naturally aggressive style as he brought up his maiden Test hundred in just 93 balls after scoring the first fifty in just 34 deliveries.[88]Dhoni followed up the century with some prosaic batting performances over the next three matches, one against Pakistan that India lost and two against England that had India holding a 1–0 lead. Dhoni was the top scorer in India's first innings in the third Test at Wankhede Stadium as his 64 helped India post a respectable 279 in reply to England's 400. However, Dhoni and the Indian fielders dropped catches and missed many dismissal chances, including a key stumping opportunity of Andrew Flintoff (14).[89]Dhoni failed to collect the Harbhajan Singh delivery cleanly as Flintoff went on to make 36 more runs as England set a target of 313 for the home team, a target that India was never in danger of threatening. A batting collapse saw the team being dismissed for 100 and Dhoni scored just 5 runs and faced criticism for his wicket-keeping lapses as well as his shot selection.Dhoni behind the stumpsOn the West Indies tour in 2006, Dhoni scored a quick and aggressive 69 in the first Test at Antigua. The rest of the series was unremarkable for Dhoni as he scored 99 runs in the remaining 6 innings but his wicket-keeping skills improved and he finished the series with 13 catches and 4 stumpings. In the Test series in South Africa later that year, Dhoni's scores of 34 and 47 were not sufficient to save the second Test against the Proteas, as India lost the series 2–1, squandering the chance to build on their first ever Test victory in South Africa (achieved in the first Test match). Dhoni's bruised hands ruled him out of the third Test match.[90]On the fourth day of the first Test match at Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's, Antigua during India's tour of West Indies, 2006, Dhoni's flick off Dave Mohammed to the midwicket region was caught by Daren Ganga. As the batsman started to walk back, captain Dravid declared the innings when the confusion started as the umpires were not certain if the fielder stepped on the ropes and Dhoni stayed for the umpire's verdict. While the replays were inconclusive, the captain of the West Indies side, Brian Lara, wanted Dhoni to walk off based on the fielder's assertion of the catch. The impasse continued for more than 15 minutes and Lara's temper was on display with finger-wagging against the umpires and snatching the ball from umpire Asad Rauf. Ultimately, Dhoni walked off and Dravid's declaration was effected but the game was delayed, and Lara's action was criticised by the commentators and former players. Lara was summoned by the match referee to give an explanation of his actions but he was not fined.[91]Dhoni scored two centuries in Sri Lanka's tour of India in 2009, a series of three matches in which he led India to a 2–0 victory. With this feat, India soared up to the number one position in Test cricket for the first time in history. India scored 726–9 (decl) in the third match of this series, which was their highest Test total then.[92]He played his last series in the 2014–15 season in India's tour of Australia captaining India in the second and third tests; losing the second and drawing the third, trailing the series 2–0 before the Sydney Test. Following the third Test in Melbourne, Dhoni announced his retirement from the format.[93]In his last Test, he effected nine dismissals (eight catches and a stumping), and in the process, went past Kumar Sangakkara in the record for stumpings with 134 (in all three formats combined).[94]He also set a record for effecting the most dismissals in a match by an Indian wicketkeeper until it was broken by Wriddhiman Saha in 2018.[95]He finished his last innings unbeaten making 24 runs.T20I careerDhoni was a part of India’s first ever Twenty20 international match. He made debut against South Africa in December 2006. He was out for a duck but India won the match. He kept the wickets and effected one catch and a runout.On 12 February 2012, Dhoni made an unbeaten 44 to guide India to their first win over Australia at Adelaide. In the final over, he hit a monstrous six which travelled 112 metres off the bowling of Clint McKay. During the post-match presentation, he described this six as more important than the one he hit during the ICC World Cup final in 2011.[96]On 18 February 2018, Dhoni created a new wicketkeeping record of having taken 134 catches in 275 T20s against South Africa in the first T20I following the catch of Reeza Hendricks; this record was previously held by Kumar Sangakkara.[97]2007 ICC World Twenty20Ms Dhoni was chosen to lead India in first ever World T20 in 2007. He made his captaincy debut against Scotland but the match was washed off. Thereon, he led India to the ICC World Twenty 20 trophy in South Africa, with a victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in an intensely fought final on 24 September 2007, and became the second Indian captain to have won a World Cup in any form of cricket, after Kapil Dev.Captain of IndiaDhoni captaining India in an ODI in February 2012Dhoni was named the captain of Indian squad for the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 held in South Africa in September 2007.[98]India were crowned champions as Dhoni led the team to victory against Pakistan in a thrilling contest.[99]He went on to become the ODI captain of the Indian team for the seven-match ODI series against Australia in September 2007.[100]He made his debut as full-time Test captain of India during the fourth and final Test against Australia at Nagpur in November 2008, replacing Anil Kumble who was injured in the third test and who then announced his retirement. Dhoni was vice-captain in this series up to that point.[101]India eventually won that Test, thus clinching the series 2–0 and retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Dhoni had previously captained India on a stand-in basis against South Africa and Australia, in 2008 and 2009 respectively.It was under his captaincy that India climbed to No. 1 in the ICC Test Rankings in December 2009. After that, he managed to lead India in a series-levelling world championship of Tests against the South Africans in February 2010. India also managed to draw the Test series 1–1 in South Africa later that year.After winning the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup final against Sri Lanka on 2 April 2011, with his match-winning knock of unbeaten 91, Tendulkar heaped praises on Dhoni, claiming him to be the best captain he has played under. Tendulkar mentioned that it was Dhoni's calm influence that was rubbing off on all his teammates and described Dhoni's handling of pressure as incredible.Only eleven players have captained ten or more Tests playing as a wicket-keeper. Dhoni leads the table with 60 Tests as captain, 35 ahead of Mushfiqur Rahim in second place.[102]In March 2013, Dhoni became the most successful Indian Test captain when he eclipsed Sourav Ganguly's record of 21 victories from 49 Tests.[103]Ganguly also said in an interview to a news channel that Dhoni is the all-time greatest captain of India and he has a great record to support this credential.In August 2016, Dhoni was selected as captain for India's first tour to the United States, where India played two T20Is against the West Indies in Lauderhill, Florida.[104]India lost the first match on 27 August 2016, during which Dhoni surpassed former Australian captain Ricky Ponting to become the most experienced captain in international cricket.[105]During 2018 Asia Cup in India's last Super Four match, against Afghanistan, captain Rohit Sharma and vice-captain Shikhar Dhawan were both rested for the match. He was named the captain of the side in their absence, and became the first cricketer to lead India 200 times in ODIs.[106]Match bansAs captain of the Indian cricket team, Dhoni has seldom been suspended due to his team's slow over rate. In December 2009, he was suspended for two ODI matches against Sri Lanka by ICC match referee Jeff Crowe as India was three overs short of the specified rate; Virender Sehwag acted as captain for the two matches in Cuttack and Kolkata.[107]In January 2012 Dhoni was banned for the fourth Test match against Australia in Adelaide as India was two overs short during the third Test in Perth.[108]Sehwag captained the team in the Adelaide test and Wriddhiman Saha kept the wickets. In the CB Series in February, Dhoni again faced a one-match ban for slow-over rate against Australia.[109]World CupDhoni has captained India in two World Cups. Under his captaincy, India won the World Cup in 2011 and reached the semifinals in 2015.2007 Cricket World CupDhoni played his first ODI World Cup in 2007 at the Caribbean. India made an early exit from the tournament in the Group Stage. In 2007 Cricket World Cup, India was placed in Group B with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bermuda. Rahul Dravid captained the team in this World Cup. In three matches India played, they managed to win only one against Bermuda while losing the rest from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In their first match against Bangladesh, India was all out in just 191 in 49.3 overs. Dhoni was out for 0. He stumped Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan and captain Habibul Bashar in the match but, India lost by 5 wickets. In the next match against Bermuda, India posted the then Highest Score in the World Cup 413/5 in a must-win match. Dhoni scored 29 off 25 Balls which includes Two 4s and One 6. India won the match by 257 runs. India was required to win their last group match against the Lankans, but they lost by 69 runs. Chasing the target of 255, India crumbled to 185 all out in 43.3 overs. Dhoni was dismissed for 0 for the second time in the tournament, off his very first ball by Muttiah Muralitharan. Thus, India was out of the world cup in the very first round. The Team was heavily criticized for their performance. Dhoni's under construction house in Ranchi was attacked by some 200 fans after the Bangladesh loss.2011 Cricket World CupUnder Dhoni's captaincy, India won the 2011 World Cup. In the final against Sri Lanka, chasing 275, Dhoni promoted himself up the batting order, coming before an in-form Yuvraj Singh. When he came to bat, India needed more than six runs per over with three top order batsmen already dismissed. He started building a good partnership with Gautam Gambhir. Due to good strokeplay and active running between wickets, they kept up with the required run rate. Dhoni was on 60 off 60 balls but later accelerated with a greater frequency of boundaries, ending with 91 not out off 79 balls. Befitting the occasion, he finished the match off in style with a huge six over long-on off bowler Nuwan Kulasekara and won the Man of the Match award. Later in the post-match presentation, he admitted that he came up the order so as to counter the Muralitharan spin threat, as he was very familiar with Murali's bowling, who was his teammate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings. He had come after the dismissal of Virat Kohli, also a right-handed batsman. By partnering the left-handed Gambhir, he ensured a right-left combination at the crease that makes it difficult for bowlers to settle into a rhythm.The bat used by Dhoni in the final match was sold for ₹ 72 Lac. The money goes to Sakshi Rawat Foundation, operated by Dhoni's wife Sakshi Rawat to help orphan children.[110]2015 Cricket World CupFor the 2015 World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand, Dhoni was named the captain of the 30-member squad by the BCCI in December 2014.[111]Under his captaincy, India was able to go through to the semi-finals with ease, beating Bangladesh in the quarter-finals. However, they lost to host Australia in the semi-finals held at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The team won 7 consecutive matches in this world cup and won 11 consecutive matches overall in world cups. With the win against Bangladesh, he became the first non-Australian captain to win 100 ODI matches, and first Indian captain to achieve the mark. He is also the third captain to win 100 matches, after two Australians, Ricky Ponting, and Allan Border.[112]Indian Premier LeagueMS Dhoni in fielding practiceDhoni was contracted by the Chennai Super Kings for 1.5 million USD. This made him the most expensive player in the IPL for the first season auctions.[113]Under his captaincy, Chennai Super Kings won the 2010 and 2011 and 2018Indian Premier League titles and the 2010 and 2014 Champions League T20 titles.[114]After the suspension of CSK for two years, he was bought by Rising Pune Supergiant for 1.9 Million USD in 2016, and was named captain. However, his team finished in 7th place. In 2017, his team reached the final, where they lost to Mumbai Indians.In the 2018 IPL season, Chennai Super Kings returned to IPL and Dhoni was again selected to lead the franchise. Dhoni scored 455 runs in the tournament and led his side to their third IPL title.[115]Playing styleDhoni is a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. Initially, Dhoni appeared as a lower-order attacking batsman but he gradually changed his playing style to deal with high-pressure scenarios and his growing responsibility as a captain. He is a powerful hitter of the ball and is one of the fastest men in running between the wickets. Because of his explosive style of finished matches, he is nicknamed "The Finisher".His wicket-keeping skill is widely praised by cricket experts. He is quickest when it comes to stumpings. He has a world record for the highest number of stumpings by any wicket-keeper. He is the main wicket-keeper in the team but he occasionally bowls as a medium fast bowler.Personal lifeDhoni married Sakshi Singh Rawat, his schoolmate in DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali.[116]a native of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on 4 July 2010.[117]At the time of their marriage, she was studying hotel management and was working as a trainee at the Taj Bengal, Kolkata. After the retirement of Sakshi's father from his tea growing business, their family shifted to their native place, Dehradun.The wedding took place one day after the couple got engaged.[118][119]According to Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, a close friend of Dhoni, the wedding was planned for months and was not a spur of the moment decision.[120]Dhoni became a father on 6 February 2015 to a baby girl named Ziva.International recordsTest cricketUnder Dhoni's captaincy, India topped the Test cricket rankings for the first time, in 2009.[121]As captain, Dhoni holds the record for longest unbeaten run in Tests from his debut with 11 (8 wins and 3 draws) beating former Australian captain Warwick Armstrong's 10. In his streak, however, there was a period of injury in which Virender Sehwag led the side (for 3 draws). So India's unbeaten streak was for 14 tests, of which 11 were Dhoni's.[122]Dhoni is the first Indian wicket-keeper to complete 4,000 Test runs.[123]Dhoni is the most successful Indian Test captain with 27 Test wins, eclipsing Sourav Ganguly's record of 21.[103]Dhoni has the erratic distinction of an Indian captain with most Test defeats overseas with 15.[124][125][126]Dhoni's maiden century against Pakistan in Faisalabad (148) is the fastest century scored by an Indian wicket-keeper, and fourth overall.[127]After hitting a six in third Test against England in Southampton, Dhoni completed 50 sixes as a captain, an Indian record.[128]Dhoni shares the record for most dismissals in an innings (6, with Syed Kirmani) and in a match (9) by an Indian wicket-keeper.Dhoni, with 294 dismissals in his career, ranks first in the all-time dismissals list by Indian wicket-keepers.Dhoni is the second wicket-keeper to have effected 6 dismissals in an innings apart from a fifty in each inning of a Test after Denis Lindsay of South Africa.Dhoni's 224 against Australia in Chennai is the third highest score by an Indian captain.[129] En route to 224, Dhoni registered the highest Test score by an Indian wicket-keeper when he was on 193, beating Budhi Kunderan's 192. It was also the highest score by a wicket-keeper–captain beating Englishman Alec Stewart's 164.ODI cricketSee also: List of highest individual scores in ODIsSee also: List of players who have scored 10,000 or more runs in One Day International cricketDhoni is the first non-Australian captain and third overall to win 100 games.[112]Dhoni's 183* against Sri Lanka in 2005 is the highest score by a wicket-keeper.[130]Dhoni has the fifth highest batting average (50.96), among cricketers with more than 5,000 runs and has the highest batting average among players with an aggregate of over 10,000 runs.[131] It is also the highest among wicket-keepers.Dhoni holds the records of the most dismissals in an innings (6) and career (357) by an Indian wicket-keeper.[132]Dhoni's 113 against Pakistan in Chennai in 2012 is the highest by a captain batting at number 7.First Indian and fifth overall to hit 200 sixes in ODIs.Holds the record for playing the most number of matches in ODI history as captain who has also served as a wicketkeeper(200)[133]Most career runs in ODI history when batting at number 6 position (3987)[134][135]Most career hundreds in ODI cricket when batting at number 7 position or lower. (2)[136]Most number (120) of unbeaten knock in international cricket history. He surpassed Muttiah Muralitharan who had remained not-out on 119 occasions.Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were involved in a partnership of 100 not out which is India's highest eighth wicket partnership vs Sri Lanka in ODIs.Most unbeaten innings and highest average in successful ODI run-chases.[137]First wicket-keeper in the world to effect in 100 ODI stumpings.[138]First Indian wicket-keeper to take 300 ODI catches and fourth wicket keeper in the world to achieve the feat.[139]Fourth Indian to reach 10,000 ODI runs after Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly & Rahul Dravid and also the second wicketkeeper to reach the milestone and in fact became the only wicketkeeper batsman to have crossed 10,000th run with a career average of 50.[140]Third fastest Indian to reach 10,000 ODI runs and also became the only player to cross 10,000 runs in ODI cricket with having a career average of over 50.[141]T20I CricketHe holds the record for playing the most T20I innings before scoring a fifty (76)[142]First player to score 1000 runs in T20Is without even scoring a career half-century; also holds the record for scoring the most career runs in T20I history before first fifty (1153)[143][144]Holds the record for playing the most number of matches in T20I history as captain who has also served as a wicketkeeper (72)[145]Most matches as captain in T20I history(72)[146]Holds the record for the most dismissals as wicketkeeper in T20Is (76)[147]Most catches as wicketkeeper in T20 Internationals (47)[148]Holds the record for taking the most catches as wicketkeeper in a T20I innings (5)[149]Holds the record for playing the most consecutive T20I innings without a duck(65)[150]Set the record for winning the most T20I matches as captain (41)International records (combined ODI, Test and T20I)Dhoni is the first wicket-keeper to effect 150 stumping dismissals in three forms of the game. In fact, he holds the record to effect most international stumpings (161)[151][152]He has played the most number of international matches as captain (331)[153]Has hit the most international sixes as captain (204)Most times bowled in international cricket while playing as a wicket-keeper (9)Dhoni's results in international matchesFormatMatchesWonLostDrawnTiedNo resultTest[154][155]903624300–ODI[156]312177116-415T20I[157]865132–12Captaincy recordDhoni is the only captain to win all ICC tournament cups- World T20 (2007), Cricket World Cup (2011) and Champions Trophy (2013).Captaincy record in Test matchesVenueSpanMatchesWonLostTiedDrawAt home venues2008–20133021306[158]At away venues2009–20143061509[159]Total2008–2014602718015[160]Captaincy record in One Day InternationalsVenueSpanMatchesWonLostTiedN/RIn India (at home venues)2007–201673432613[161]At away and neutral venues2008–2018127674848[162]Total2007–201820011074511[163]Captaincy record in Twenty20 InternationalsVenueSpanMatchesWonLostTiedN/RIn India (at home venues)2007–201620101000[164]At away venues2007–201623131000[165]At neutral venues2007–20162918812[166]Total2007–201672412812[167]Note – In the 2010 ICC World Twenty20, India played a Super 8 Match against West Indies. This match comes under the List of Matches played in Away Venues as the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 was being hosted in the West Indies.Outside cricketCo-owner of Ranchi RaysAlong with Sahara India Pariwar, Dhoni is a co-owner of Ranchi based Hockey club Ranchi Rays, a franchise of the Hockey India League.[168]Co-owner of Chennaiyin FCAlong with Abhishek Bachchan and Vita Dani, Dhoni is also a co-owner of Chennai based Football club Chennaiyin FC, a franchise of the Indian Super League.[169]Mahi Racing Team IndiaDhoni's interest in bikes was often discussed in media.[170]He co-parternered Akkineni Nagarjuna in buying a Supersport World Championship team Mahi Racing Team India.Business interestsMain article: SEVEN (brand)In February 2016, Dhoni launched lifestyle brand SEVEN. Dhoni owns the footwear side of the brand and is also the brand ambassador of SEVEN.[171]Biographical filmA biographical film based on the life of Dhoni, titled M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, was released on 30 September 2016.