Mumbai, Dec 3

Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won the 2013 ICC People's Choice Award.

Dhoni is only the third cricketer to win the award after Sachin Tendulkar in 2010 and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara in 2011 and 2012.

"This is one of the awards that has given me tremendous satisfaction, since it comes from the key stakeholders of the game - the fans. Recognition from the people who support and encourage us day in and day out only inspires me to put in that much more, and go the extra mile for them. I would like to thank all those people who have voted in my favour," Dhoni said in a statement.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Sanjay Patel received the award on behalf of Dhoni, who is touring South Africa with the Indian team.

The other nominees for the award were Australia's Michael Clarke, England's Alastair Cook, India's Virat Kohli and South Africa's AB de Villiers.

The award was voted upon by approximately 188,000 fans around the world. Voting opened Nov 2 and closed Nov 23.

By:IANS