It's not a joke to score so many runs: Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Pranav Dhanawade's 1009-run knock

New Delhi: India's limited-overs skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday heaped praise on school boy Pranav Dhanawade, who created history by playing a record-breaking unbeaten knock of 1009, while playing in the Bhandari Trophy.

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On the eve of Indian team's departure for the Australia tour, Dhoni stated, "It's not a joke to score so many runs. It is serious business in any conditions and ground keeping in mind the age. It's tremendous, it is important to improve. He must be a very special kid. I would have gotten bored. He's calculating his batting. It is something that is very rare."

Dhanawade smashed 59 sixes and 129 boundaries in the colossal innings.

India batsman Ajinkya Rahane too paid tribute to 15-year-old teenager by saying that his knock was massive and hoped that he would play for India some day.

"It's a massive feat to do this. He has started well. 1009 runs take long to say it but to achieve an individual score like this is a big achievement. I hope he plays with us someday. He should just focus on doing well," Rahane told to ANI.

Former Indian cricketers – VVS Laxman and Sanjay Manjrekar – also looked mesmerised with the marathon knock as they took to Twitter to praise the youngster.   

Well done #PranavDhanawade UnbelievableNever ever thought some one would get 1000 runs in 1 Innings Good luck pic.twitter.com/hXkHEHE2jo — VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) January 5, 2016

Have no idea of strength of bowling, match situation, standard of the tournament, but 1009 runs by an individual is just mind boggling. — Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) January 5, 2016

Pranav started playing cricket at the tender age of five and is coached by Mobin Sheikh.

The 15-year-old, whose father is an auto-rickshaw driver represents Pranab KC Gandhi School, Kalyan in U-16 cricket.

Maharashtra government has also decided to bear coaching and education expenses of Pranav from this point on.