The film begins with the ICC Cricket World Cup Final (India vs Sri Lanka) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai where Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Sushant Singh Rajput) is watching the match live on screen. He decides to take a stand and tells the authorities that he will bat if a wicket falls. Dhoni takes up his bat and leads down the stairs amidst the roar of the crowd. There is then a flashback in Ranchi, set on 7 July 1981, the day on which Dhoni was born. Further, it talks about his schooling, college days, entry in the state level and international cricket, his captaincy till India wins the world cup in 2011.