Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni arrives at Birsa Munda Airport on Tuesday. He returned from a short trip to Calcutta. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Dec. 2: Mahendra Singh Dhoni has an important task in hand. For a change, it’s not cricket but books.

The Team India skipper, who had taken admission to St Xavier’s College, Ranchi, to pursue a course in office management and secretarial practices (OM&SP), has to prove his mettle in the ongoing first semester exams. He can take the test from home or while on tour.

Brother-in-law Gautam Gupta and close friend Chintu arrived at principal Nicholas Tete’s office sharp at 11.30am today to collect the course material for him.

“We handed over eight books and special questionnaire for six papers for the first semester of the three-year degree course. The assignments carry 10 questions each — all of which need to be answered. Dhoni can take the test anywhere and return the papers. Practical exams and viva-voce will be conducted for him when he is here,” Tete said.

The star batsman was here for three days and is said to have had talks with the college authorities regarding the tests. He left for Calcutta yesterday.

Tete said the assignments could be treated as test papers after the same were vetted by the college governing body. He expressed hope that the proposal would be passed by the body that is chaired by the provincial head of Xavier Society Trust and has nominees of University Grants Commission, state human resource development department and Ranchi University (RU) as its members. St Xavier’s College enjoys academic autonomy though affiliated to the RU. Except issuing of the final degree certificate, the varsity plays no role in academics.

One of the country’s most eligible bachelors came looking for a bachelor’s degree in August this year. The formalities for his induction were completed in a hush-hush “ceremony” on the fifth of that month. The new student had had to deposit Rs 10,000 for the three-year course. If he qualifies, the Ranchi University will award him a BCom certificate in vocational studies.

Dhoni finished his Class XII from DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir in 1999 and took admission at Gossner College, but had to discontinue studies because of his passion for cricket. A nine-year break in his academic career notwithstanding, the ace cricketer is now ready to stump critics.