5 greatest athletes produced by Jharkhand
In 2011, the state of Jharkhand, located in eastern India highlighted the growth of sport within it’s landscape, after hosting the 2011 National Games in Ranchi. Carved out of the south Bihar, the state got legitimacy to function as an individual entity in the year 2000.However, it was not until 2005, that Jharkhand started producing National and International level athletes. India’s very own national cricket team captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni hails from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.In fact, Jharkhand’s mass production of talent across sports can also be attributed to the presence of the TATA sports academies. The more famous ones are the TATA Football Academy and TATA Archery Academy.From cricket to mountaineering, here are the five best sportspersons from the state of Jharkhand.
#1 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Cricket)
Indian cricket team’s limited overs captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni made his debut for the country in 2004 against Bangladesh. He went onto make his test debut next year, against Sri Lanka. Dhoni’s domestic career stretches back to 1999, when he played his first match for Bihar.
In 2004, he started representing Jharkhand and if you thought his international record was good, Dhoni’s First Class record is even better. In 131 matches, he scored 7,038 runs and took 364 catches, behind the stumps.
For India, he has amassed 8,192 runs in ODI’s and 4,876 runs in Test matches.
The 33-year old also captained India to two World Cup victories – the T20 World Cup in 2007, held in South Africa and the ODI World Cup held in 2011 on their home turf.