Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today got engaged to his childhood friend Sakshi Singh Rawat at a private function in a hotel in Dehradun with just family members and close friends present. The marriage is likely to take place after India's home series against Australia in October.

The engagement for Dhoni, one of India's most successful captain, comes just four days before his 29th birthday. "Dhoni and his school friend Sakshi got engaged at Hotel Bhagirath in Dehradun," a close family friend told in Ranchi. "Besides the family members of Dhoni, a few close friends of the cricketer were present during the engagement ceremony," he added.

Dhoni's engagement was kept a closely guarded secret and sources said that none of his cricketer friends and other celebrities was present. It was only late in the night that the news of his engagement broke. Dhoni and Sakshi, who hails from Aurangabad, had been school friends at DAV, Shamily in Ranchi.