Family

Dhoni's family hails from the northern, hilly region of Almora in what is now Uttaranchal state, but his father moved to Ranchi on taking up a modest job.Dhoni's father, Pan Singh, says: "I was a low-scale wage employee with limited resources. "Probably I couldn't support him as a cricket player, but we never opposed his decisions."

Dhoni's family house in Lwali, accessible only on foot, is now a destination for visitors from nearby villages. Dhoni's father may have left several years ago to settle down in Ranchi, but the charm of his native home always brought him back and with him, a very young Mahendra. "Even as a child he was never interested in his studies. He would come here to village and get all the boys together and go play with them in the fields," said his Uncle, Dhanpat Singh Dhoni.

His sister, Jayati says that, “Marriage proposals are raining on us,”. But the Dhoni family does not have any plans to marry him off right now. Even the 24-year-old himself is not ready to settle down yet. “We will think about marriage after three years,” Jayati said. And what kind of girl do they have in mind for Dhoni? “We will prefer a good-natured girl who can adjust in our family,” she said.

The Dhoni family is also receiving scores of letters and greeting cards from fans. Many letters reach the Dhonis even without the complete address. A simple “MS Dhoni, Ranchi” seems enough.