Dhoni in Line for Padma Bhushan Award

New Delhi : The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday nominated former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the prestigious Padma Bhushan Award.Dhoni, under whom India won the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup, has already received the Arjuna Award, Rajeev Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Padma Shri award.
He has retired from Test cricket but is still an integral part of India’s limited-overs set-up and the best wicketkeeper-batsman around in world cricket. He was named ICC’s ODI Player of the Year in 2008 and 2009.Upon receiving the Padma Bhushan, the 36-year-old will become the 11th Indian cricketer to get the third highest civilian honour.
“Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been nominated by the BCCI for the Padma Bhushan award. There was no doubt among the members that Dhoni has impeccable credentials. Two World titles (2011 50-over World Cup and 2007 World T20), nearly 10,000 runs, 90 Test matches. There is no one better than him, who could have been nominated,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on the condition of anonymity.The BCCI has sent only one nomination this year.
He has scored 9737 runs in 302 ODIs besides 4876 runs in 90 Test matches. He has also played 78 T20 Internationals, notching up 1212 runs. He has 16 international hundreds (6 in Tests and 10 in ODIs) along with 100 international half-centuries.
As a wicketkeeper, Dhoni has held 584 catches across formats (256 in Tests, 285 in ODIs and 43 in T20 internationals). He has also effected 163 stumpings.
Some of the notable international cricketers, who have been the recipients of Padma Bhushan award are Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Chandu Borde, Prof DB Deodhar, Col CK Nayudu, and Lala Amarnath.