Salute Lt. Colonel Dhoni and Bindra

Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Olympic gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra were today conferred with the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army by President Pratibha Patil.

Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Olympic gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra were on Tuesday conferred with the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army by President Pratibha Patil.

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Both sportsmen were bestowed upon the rank in the territorial army for their outstanding contribution in cricket and shooting, and their commitment to the army on various occasions.

While Dhoni led the Indian cricket team to victory in World Cup 2011 and top of the Test ranking table for the first time ever, Bindra became the only Indian sportsperson to win an individual Olympic gold medal.