Indian skipper MS Dhoni, fresh after winning the Khel Ratna award was seen delving into charity to add another feather to his cap.

By Aman Kapoor

Tuesday afternoon, Dhoni was batting on a different wicket. In his first visit to the capital after dad Pan Singh received the Khel Ratna from President Pratibha Patil last week, Dhoni was not talking cricket. He wasn't wearing the skipper's cap, but that of a man who is steadily but surely, taking his first big steps towards charity.

In what will surely go down as one of the biggest days in their lives, 780 youngsters received "graduation" certificates from Dhoni. These youngsters from the underprivileged society, took part in a literacy programme jointly organized by HOPE Foundation and GE Money. The programme involved a week-long course in how to manage your finances.

HOPE, an India NGO, has been in the forefront of educating orphans and attending to the elderly since 1991. Having provided basic education to over 5000 children, the programme with GE Money, has added a new dimension. Dhoni, who is a brand ambassador for the financial company, said, "Undertaking this program is a positive step forward for these underprivileged students. I encourage them to make the best of their learnings and share it with others."

Humour could well have been Dhoni's middle name. In a packed function at a city hotel, the superstar from Ranchi, showed why is called "captain cool." When a couple of students fumbled in their vote of thanks to the foundation, Dhoni gave them ‘hope' in his imitable style. "There is nothing wrong in forgetting your lines when you are speaking with a mike for the first time. I still forget the names of the eleven guys during toss," said Dhoni, throwing the motley crowd into splits.

A man who worked his way through the ranks, Dhoni was the perfect ambassador for Tuesday's event. Mark Templer, CEO and executive director of HOPE foundation, perhaps gave the Indian captain a well-deserved tribute: "Dhoni is not just a great cricketer and a great captain, he is also a perfect idol for all of us over here. He had a dream and worked hard to fulfill it. At HOPE, we are just trying to do that."