The rise and rise of Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a busy man: on an average, he goesdown on his haunches and shoots up like a rubber at least 300 times each timeduring a limited-overs game; he also flashes at least a million smiles in thenormal course of a day. On Saturday, here in dreamy Northampton, headded another significant task to his already packed schedule: keeping one eyeon the field, another on the score card and the third one on his bowlers, thescore card and the field. He did it proudly, though, to become India's firstcaptain from the backwaters of the country.Well, it may just be apractice game and that too against England's cubs; but it's at least abeginning. In less than a month, he will be the world's cynosure as he carries afull-fledged side, albeit a young one, to South Africa for the Twenty20 WorldCup."This is a very special day for me," Dhoni hadtold, on the day he was eventuallynamed captain. "A dream come true. A very proud moment for not only me but mystate," he had said. "Five years ago, people would have laughed if anybody hadsaid a player from Jharkhand would be representing the country. Today, one ofthem has been named captain," he added, as smug as a 24-carat diamond. More thanthe pride, though, he was wary of the responsibility. "Leading theIndian team is a tough job. I'm a positive man and don't pay much attention topressure but it won't be easy," he had said. Almost instinctively, the smilethat races all the way to his heart and comes back joyously, sprang out again.Two minutes later, he had melted into his adoring fans.Dhoni enteredthe scene through the Jharkhand gate, as a bright-eyed 18-year-old in 1999-2000.It took him almost five years before he was noticed in the Duleep and DeodharTrophies; but by then, he had already picked up a reputation: long hair, Oakleysand really, really big shots.Eventually, he found an inlet throughthe India 'A' squad into the national team. He debuted in Chittagong,Bangladesh, at a home away from home. The start was quiet, almost painfulthough; it was in his fifth match, against Pakistan in Visakhapatnam, that hemade his first noise: 148 off just 123 deliveries.On October 31, hesmashed his way into the hearts of Indian fans, who can't see beyond theswashbucklers and the boundary-men. His 183 against Sri Lanka made him thehighest scorer among 'keepers, surpassing his hero Adam Gilchrist's 172. Itwasn't long before he was creating a racket in Tests too.Dhoni'srise since then has been spectacular. In a team full of stars and superstars, hefound a niche for himself: a destroyer with the heart of a winner. Pretty soon,he was walking the ramps, adorning hoardings and smiling out of TV screens. Likea true star.He loves fast cars, fast bikes and fast bowling; ifthere's anything fast he doesn't like, it's probably fast girls. Like all boys,surely, he too must be having a glad eye; but true to his batting style, hedoesn't care much for maidens: he is happier chasing bowlers.Mahi,as he is affectionately called, easily has almost as many if not moreadvertisements under his belt than even Sachin Tendulkar; he also as many fansas any other Indian cricketer. For a brief while, he had even become the topbatsman in the One-day world rankings; in 2006, he was also voted MTV's youthicon. He bats for literacy in his home state too. Clearly, he is a busy man. Butcan he keep Indian cricket afloat when Tendulkar-Dravid-Ganguly-Laxman-Kumbleretire?Well, the next month will give us an indication.