MS Dhoni retires from Test cricket with immediate effect, citing the strain of playing all forms of cricket as his reason for doing so. Dhoni has chosen to retire from Test Cricket with immediate effect in order to concentrate on ODI and T20. BCCI while respecting the decision of M S Dhoni to retire from Test Cricket, wishes to thank him for his enormous contribution to Test Cricket and the laurels that he has brought to India. Virat Kohli will be the captain of the Indian Team for the Fourth and Final Test against Australia to be played in Sydney from the 6th of January 2015. - Official note from BCCI Hon. Secretary Sanjay Patel.

But did you know that the Test captain under whose leadership India became No. 1 in the longest form of the sport was one defeat away from equalling the record for most defeats as captain. He was also under a lot of pressure especially after Virat Kohli led the team well in Adelaide.

But we still love this man, don't we?

From being a starry-eyed boy from Ranchi to becoming one of the world's highest paid athletes, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has traced a phenomenal career path.
Here are 17 lesser known facts about Mahi and his extraordinary journey that every Indian cricket fan must know!

1. As captain, he holds the record for longest unbeaten run in Tests since his debut, 11 Tests (8 wins and 3 draws) until the Test against South Africa in 2010.