Dhoni is India's Khel Ratna

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, captain of the Indian limited-overs cricket team, has been declared the recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the country's most prestigious sports-based award.

Dhoni is the second cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar to win the award.

"We are very happy. He has represented the country with distinction, and deserves the honour. His exemplary leadership and demeanour under pressure, especially in the ICC World Twenty20 and the tri-series in Australia, mark him out as the ideal role-model for millions of young Indians, who want to make a mark in life," Mr. Sharad Pawar, the BCCI President, said in his reaction to the news.