“My father thought I am not passing” – MS Dhoni recalls his class 10th board exam days

Indian cricket legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni enjoyed a sparkling career where he dominated as a batter, wicketkeeper and captain. The Ranchi-born superstar is widely acknowledged for changing the dynamics of Indian cricket in his 13-year-long spectacular career.

During his stint as Team India skipper, Dhoni accomplished almost everything as India won all the major ICC titles. Under his guidance, the Men in Blue won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, followed by the 50-over World Cup triumph in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013.

Dhoni’s magic wasn’t only limited to the international arena as he achieved many landmarks in the domestic circuit, especially in tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL). The veteran stumper played an instrumental role in Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) outstanding success in the cash-rich league, inspiring the ‘Yellow Army’ to win the prestigious IPL trophy in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021.

But what was it like when Dhoni was in his school days, preparing and dreaming of becoming a cricketer? Well, the legend has himself shared a unique experience from his earlier days at school. Dhoni recalled a moment when his father doubted he wouldn’t pass the class 10th board exams.

“I was very happy. My father thought that I am not passing [10th board exam]. He was like, it’s gone, I will have to repeat, but he was very happy that I passed,” said Dhoni during a Q & A session at a school.

Dhoni explained that prioritizing towards sports led to a dip in his attendance, but he managed to get decent grades. The 41-year-old said he was an average student and revealed he had no clue about some chapters in the 10th standard.

“Does sport qualify as a subject? [on his favorite subject] I was an average student till I started playing cricket in Class seven, so from that point onwards, my attendance slightly started to go down. But other than that, I was a good student. [In the] tenth, I got 66 per cent or something; In 12th, I got 56 or 57 per cent.”

“My attendance was very low because I was playing throughout. So, it was tough for me, but I was an average student. In fact, in Class 10 boards, there were chapters I had no clue about. So, I had no idea what to write if a question came from that particular chapter. That how bad it was,” Dhoni added.