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Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born on July 7, 1981 at Ranchi, Jharkhand located in the east corner of India. He studied at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir where he was keenly interested in football and badminton. MS Dhoni comes from a typical family.
NOW MS Dhoni HAS PLAYING WICKET KEEPER AND BATSMAN FOR INDIAN TEAM
Personal Information
Born
Jul 07, 1981 (39 years)
Birth Place
Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand)
Height
5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Role
WK-Batsman
Batting Style
Right Handed Bat
Bowling Style
Right-arm medium
ICC Rankings
Test
ODI
T20
Batting
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27
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Bowling
--
--
--
Career Information
Teams
India, Asia XI, Chennai Super Kings, Indians, Jharkhand, Rising Pune Supergiant, India A
Less than thirty years before that enchanting Saturday night when Ravi Shastri’s voice rang through television sets all over India, when even the spunky and exuberant Indian youth showed m...
Batting Career Summary
Bowling Career Summary
Career Information
Test debut
vs Sri Lanka at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Dec 02, 2005
Last Test
vs Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Dec 26, 2014
ODI debut
vs Bangladesh at MA Aziz Stadium, Dec 23, 2004
Last ODI
vs New Zealand at Emirates Old Trafford, Jul 09, 2019
T20 debut
vs South Africa at The Wanderers Stadium, Dec 01, 2006
Last T20
vs Australia at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Feb 27, 2019
IPL debut
vs Kings XI Punjab at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Apr 19, 2008
Last IPL
vs Mumbai Indians at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, May 12, 2019
Profile
Less than thirty years before that enchanting Saturday night when Ravi Shastri’s voice rang through television sets all over India, when even the spunky and exuberant Indian youth showed more interest in an old-school CRT television at a local chai ki dukaan than the dance-floor at a pub, a pump-operator in Ranchi awaited the birth of his third child.
'Dhoniiiii finishes off in style. A magnificent strike into the crowd. India lift the World Cup after 28 years. The party's started in the dressing room. And it’s an Indian captain, who’s been absolutely magnificent, in the night of the final.’
Any cricket fan worth his salt just read this in Ravi Shastri's most dramatic voice, as Mahendra Singh Dhoni enchanted the Wankhede on the night of 2nd April 2011.
The Foundations
Hailing from Jharkhand, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s rise through the ranks into international cricket is a tale of rebellion, extraordinary merit, perseverance, and, most of all, belief. After being scouted on the whims of his school P.E. teacher as a wicketkeeper, Dhoni created whispers in the cricketing circles of Ranchi - a teenaged boy with no measurable upper-body strength clearing boundaries against some of the best fast bowlers of the district. However, the system failed him as he found it difficult to make the cut against candidates of the more affluent A-tier states. Consequently, in a desperate move, he joined the Railways Ranji team and started to work as a ticket collector at the Kharagpur railway station to make ends meet.
Nevertheless, in a few months, the stars started to align themselves for the precocious wunderkind from Ranchi. Inspired by the KSCA, the BCCI started a country-wide Training Research Development Wing to scout talent from the more financially backward states. Dhoni immediately caught the eyes of the scouts and was sent on an A tour to Kenya, where his talent burst forth for the world to see as he showcased his batting pyrotechnics against world-class bowlers in alien conditions. He immediately shot to national reckoning and was selected for the tour of Bangladesh in November 2004.
By then a broad 22-year-old with long locks, Dhoni’s India career got off to an inauspicious start, as he scored a duck in his first ODI and a string of low scores followed. However, the selectors and the then-captain Sourav Ganguly decided to persist with him and gave him an extended run. Dhoni repaid their faith with an exhibition of his charisma and audacious stroke-play in his fifth ODI against Pakistan, who certainly didn’t see the butchery coming, as he butchered his way to 148 at Vishakhapatnam. Later in 2005, he went one step further bludgeoning his way to a brutal 183* in Jaipur to make a mockery of a 300-run chase against a Sri Lankan attack that looked aghast at his bizarre-but-effective stroke-play and the unparalleled physical power that he imparted on the ball.
Technique
There have always been questions about Dhoni's technique, and how ugly it looks. And the assessment of Dhoni's technique points out one of the major follies in our game - the temptation to judge by aesthetics rather than functionality. Technique is a product of how you get something done and not a step by step physical procedure as to how to do it. The method to achieve the fundamental virtues of the game rely on your abilities and aptitude to execute them in a particular way. Dhoni looks unorthodox at the crease, but he gets back and across. Instead of punching with his fore-arms, he bludgeons it with his wrists, with a low back-lift, ensuring that he plays it late. Most importantly, he has a still head while perceiving the line of the ball and at the point of contact. He also has an open stance allowing him to pull easily by getting to the back-foot early.
And just like that, all the virtues of batting are achieved by him, albeit with a slightly out-of-the-box method.
As teams all over the world tried to work a way around his fireworks, Dhoni established himself as a reliable batsman in Tests too, with a technique that worked against pace, seam, swing and spin. In his 5th Test, he coincidentally scored another 148 against Pakistan in an uncharacteristically stoic effort to save the match, thereby portraying his versatility as a batsman. After a string of wicketkeeper-batsmen being tried in the side, Dhoni had finally become a mainstay in the side - a powerful pinch-hitter towards the end of the innings capable of more than just cameos, and a more-than-reliable wicketkeeper in the side.
In a state where leather ball cricket was a luxury, Dhoni grew up playing tennis ball cricket tournaments. With heavy Kashmir willow bats, light and hollow tennis balls, and long boundaries, he developed a bottomhand-dominated technique to impart maximum power on the light tennis ball which undergoes energy-damping upon impact. However, Dhoni stood out when he, along with a friend, developed an elevated body-weight shot with an exaggerated follow-through that cleared boundaries with ease. On that count, cricketing folklore will remember MS Dhoni as the man who had the audacity to play the 'helicopter shot' against the leather ball.
Captaincy
With a mature head on his shoulders and an astute and shrewd cricketing mind, Dhoni was recommended by senior players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid for captaincy after Rahul Dravid stepped down as skipper.
On his first assignment in the inaugural World T20 in 2007, Dhoni and his young troops romped to the title in a shock victory for the inexperienced Indian side, bringing about the T20 revolution in India. Dhoni's calm and composed leadership was widely lauded in the cricketing fraternity after India brought the trophy home, earning him the label of ‘Captain Cool’. He was soon handed the ODI leadership as a natural move after his World T20 triumph, and after the retirement of Anil Kumble in late 2008, the Test leadership was thrust upon him too.
'India may have gained a great captain, but they’ve lost a fearsome hitter’, remarked Harsha Bhogle after Dhoni was handed the reigns of the side. It was true. MS Dhoni, the powerful biffer of leather who could clear the area code with the willow, had now become a gritty accumulator, who seemed to be playing a lot more responsibly. At first, it did look like India had lost an important asset in Dhoni’s explosive batting. However, over the years, Dhoni delivered performances with his new reserved approach and developed the ability to move in and out of his rampage zone. He had inherited the good qualities of his accomplished seniors in the team - carving his game as per the requirement of the team.
Dhoni had a golden run as captain, with an unbeaten run in Test series since his captaincy debut, leading them to their first stint as the top-ranked Test team in the world. His winning streak included the home series against Australia in 2008, a 1-0 triumph in New Zealand in 2009, and a 2-0 victory against Sri Lanka at home, culminating in a comprehensive win at the Brabourne stadium, Mumbai, where he received the coveted Test Championship mace. India continued to dominate in home Tests after this and drew a series in South Africa, coming very close to their maiden series win in South Africa in the decider in Cape Town, where some stoic resistance by the hosts narrowly saved them from the a defeat at the hands of a rampaging Indian side in top form.
Dhoni continued to garner praise for his success across formats; especially for his clinical success in limited-overs cricket, reaching the pinnacle of his captaincy career during India's path to glory in the 2011 World Cup. Dhoni’s India knocked out Australia, the holders of the World Cup since 1999, in the quarter-final in Ahmedabad. Having gone through a patch of lackluster form throughout the tournament, Dhoni peaked at the right time, exhibiting his usual sangfroid on the way to 91* in the World Cup final against Sri Lanka, and lofted an iconic six over long-on, triggering night-long celebrations all over Mumbai and the rest of India.
Transition Period - A rebuilding phase
After the World Cup, the Indian team saw a difficult transition period. Dhoni's shrewd captaincy came under severe scrutiny during the 8 successive losses in England and Australia. In the aftermath of the overseas failures, which included England toppling them over as the number 1 Test side in the world, a fatigued Indian side faced a 1-2 drubbing against England at home as India's Test team hit rockbottom. The team's abysmal performances in the longer format raised serious questions about Dhoni's leadership and a whisper of his sacking; a somewhat misplaced and impulsive proposition, given the poor overall performance of the entire team, their inept technique against spin (which is their forte), an overflowing timetable, and a plethora of viable explanations.
However, the transition phase in Indian cricket saw the famed batting line-up failing to meet their lofty standards, and a rather raw bowling fast-bowling line-up with negligible experience struggling, as Zaheer Khan suffering from a long-term injury.
There was only so much Dhoni could do...
However, after taking some tough selection calls, Dhoni led the way in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a marathon 224 in Chennai, setting the platform for a clean-sweep of Australia at home, clinically blanking them to regain the trophy. India became the first team in more than 40 years to whitewash Australia in a Test series and Dhoni now had the most Test wins for an Indian captain under his belt.
India's poor Test form had unfortunately seeped into the ODI fold as well. However, Dhoni developed an uncanny ability to play a symbolic game of poker during run-chases, and backing himself to finish it off in the last over without blinking. He repeated this feat multiple times: whacking a 112-meter six to clear the Adelaide boundary with 12 to win off 4 in the CB series, chasing down 15 in the last over in the Celkon Cup final to name a few, and a ridiculous 23 off the last over in a run-chase off Axar Patel to win a dead-rubber in IPL 2016; with the equation at 12 to win from 2, he dropped jaws by clouting two sixes to pull off a scarcely believable victory.
He had started to build a reputation of being one of the most reliable batsmen limited-overs cricket, taking India to victory constantly from the jaws of defeat. For instance, his century batting at No.7 against Pakistan at Chennai, a stunning 113 walking into the crease when India were 29 for 5, was a knock that symbolized the leader MS Dhoni who led by example, as well as exhibited sharp tactical nous: a much sought-after combination in a captain.
The Redemption
After rebuilding the ODI side and phasing out the seniors, Dhoni had a fine run as captain in 2013, leading India to their second Champions Trophy triumph as they cruised to the title undefeated, providing a welcome distraction from the IPL spot-fixing controversy. This made him the first captain in history to win all three ICC global trophies, etching his name in the history books with an unprecedented record and an enviable trophy cabinet as a limited-overs captain.
He led the side to the final of the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh, in which India lost to Sri Lanka in the final, and the semi-final of the World T20 in 2016 in India. Dhoni also is the captain of Chennai franchise, one of the most successful teams in the history of Indian Premier League, which won back-to-back titles in the years 2010 and 2011 and also the Champions League T20 in the years 2010 and 2014.
Dhoni's Test captaincy came under severe criticism, especially after India's continuous losses overseas. Despite a Lord’s victory on a green-top in 2014, India went on to lose the three subsequent Tests in England in 2014, where Dhoni made some lone contributions, including a dogged 82 in a total of 148 and a few other fifties. He countered the seam movement and swing by playing late and walking down the pitch, showing greater application than the rest of his line-up with more orthodox techniques. Despite not having the often-talked-about hundred in overseas conditions, Dhoni has made several valuable contributions in the lower-order which have immeasurable value in the context of the game.
The beginning of the end
In the away Border-Gavaskar trophy in 2014, moments after helping India draw the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne, Dhoni announced that he was stepping down from Test captaincy and retiring from Test cricket, citing excessive workload as the reason for quitting the longest format. After honing a potent bowling attack and a gritty batting line-up for his heir, and taking several body blows - literal and metaphorical - Dhoni ensured that he copped the criticism to nurture a potent team and left his successor a young, zealous team with the tenacity, fitness, and most importantly, the positive attitude to perform in all conditions.
Dhoni successfully led India to the 2015 World Cup semi-final, where the defending champions conceded cricket’s most desirable trophy to Australia. Here too, Dhoni was the lone-warrior, as he gritted his way through to 65, as his team fell short by 95 runs.
On 4th January, 2017 Dhoni stepped down as the captain of the Indian ODI and T20I team, bringing about the end of an era in Indian cricket. Having led the team with zeal and panache across all formats of the game for more than nine years, Dhoni decided to play with the freedom of a pure batsman in his final lap of international cricket without the enormous burden of captaincy. Dhoni, who had made the world believe that the batsman held the upper-hand if there were 20 required off the last over, had switched to a sheet anchor mode with younger pinch-hitters batting around him, once again, proving to be a benchmark of versatility in the Indian team.
In 2018, with the top order of the Indian team in turbo-mode, MS Dhoni had fewer opportunities to bat and went through an alarming dip in form - the likes of which hadn't been seen since the early days of his international career. With a revised technique and a far more top-handed batting style, Dhoni reinforced his game to suit his waning reactions and wrist strength and continued to be a part of the Indian middle order, guiding younger bowlers, almost handholding the spinners in limited-overs cricket and creating dismissals out of thin air with his lightning-quick stumpings, and almost reinventing the art of wicketkeeping to spinners by eliminating the followthrough at the point of connection.
While his chicanery behind the stumps, and the tactical nous to assist the newer leaders may have been priceless for the team, the lack of runs and the declining strike-rate were starting to stand out, leading to his exclusion from T20Is in late 2018. Despite a fantastic IPL 2018, Dhoni has struggled to make his bat do the talking in international cricket of late, as the helicopter stands rusting on the spot it was last seen. After the semifinal heartbreak of the 2019 World Cup, Dhoni did not play an international game for India. On August 15, 2020, just like catches batsmen unaware with his glovework, MS Dhoni surprised the cricketing world by announcing his international retirement through an Instagram post that read, \"Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout.from 1929 hrs consider me as Retired.\"
The journey started with a run-out and ended with a run-out.
IPL through the years
MS Dhoni and Chennai Super Kings is a great yellove story. Ever since the Indian Premier League idea spread vigorously among the cricketing fraternity, people wondered which team would pouch the then Indian captain. The Super Kings, run by an organisation that knew the nuances of running sports, knew they wanted a strong leader to lay a strong base and they made a grand opening by bagging Dhoni for a whopping 6 Crore, the highest bid back then. The IPL would be born on April 18, 2008 and on June 1, Dhoni was there leading CSK in the final, albeit in a losing cause in a final-ball finish.
The result may not have gone his way, but he made a mark with his captaincy and by finishing as the side's second highest run-getter. CSK were stopped one step before the final in 2009, but a year later, Dhoni made a quirky move against Kieron Pollard in the final against Mumbai Indians by placing a straightish mid-off despite having a long-off to get his hands on the coveted trophy after two failed attempts. With three consistent years, Dhoni ensured the team made a big mark and they were considered the invincibles of the IPL. CSK justified the tag by winning the title in 2011 and came runners up in the following two editions.
Dhoni was the third highest run-getter in 2013, a season where he fought a lone battle against Mumbai in the final. His team team suffered a tough loss in Qualifier 2 against a rampant Kings XI Punjab in 2014, another year where Dhoni scored in excess of 350 runs. 2015 was a black mark in CSK's history as the team was hit by the spot-fixing saga, but Dhoni led the side to the final among the ruckus, before the franchise was slapped with a two-year ban.
The ban meant all the CSK players were to spread and Dhoni moved to the newly formed Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016. He spent a quite year, but was back doing what he does best, leading his side to the final, but yet again, finished runners-up in a heart-breaking loss to the Mumbai Indians in the final.
2018 was a grand re-entry for Dhoni and CSK. The franchise was given an unimaginably rousing welcome by the fans, who even took a train all the way from Chennai to Pune to support the team as the matches had to be moved out of Chennai. Dhoni was back to where he belonged. He looked fresher, fitter and hungrier. With his brilliant power-hitting through the season, he silenced critics who ever questioning his hitting prowess and made a strong statement that he is still well and truly alive for the 2019 World Cup.
Dhoni in a nutshell
Dhoni's rise is a rags-to-riches story and has been a one of phenomenal success, punctuated by the occasional blip in performance. Dhoni is the ideal icon for modern India well. Aggression with decorum, modesty along with stardom, and an apparent happy-go-lucky Midas touch, Dhoni is the perfect blend of a role-model and pin-up star.
It looks like Dhoni took his father’s advice as depicted in his biopic MS Dhoni: the Untold Story - ‘Don't let the success get to your head and keep going.’ A rather simple word of caution, but not necessarily easy to execute. It is all a part of the ‘process’ that Dhoni likes to talk about. The Indian youth has grown to mock the word, but Dhoni has taken victories in his stride along with defeat, and given more importance to evaluation at a micro-level as a tool to pave the way forward, with relative indifference to the results.
While we focused on an A4 sheet, he painted the entire canvas - a virtue that has largely helped shape the legend of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Once a ticket-collector at the Kharagpur Railway Station, Dhoni went on to become the quintessential captain cool, arguably the world’s best finisher, and one of the all-time greats of limited-overs cricket, bringing about a revolution that put the onus on the batsmen to pull off unlikely chases.
Nevertheless, a player of his stature and dedication deserves better than a headline reading 'Security beefed up at MS Dhoni's Ranchi residence as India stare at defeat in the World Cup semi-final at the SCG.’ In contrast to the pop culture reference, perhaps Dhoni was the hero India needed, but didn’t deserve...
World Cup through the years
Mahendra Singh Dhoni - India's quintessential captain cool, and the batsman who had a lot to do with converting the term pinch-hitter to finisher, first played a World Cup in 2007 in tumultuous times under the leadership of Rahul Dravid where India would crash out in the first three games, without any significant contributions from Dhoni himself. In 2011, however, after a revamp in the coaching staff, and with Dhoni's own ascendency to captaincy, India had found a new leader and went into the home World Cup in 2011 as favourites. Dhoni had certainly proved his mettle as a captain, and India stumbled through the league stages in 2011, toppling minnows with ease, and but running the stronger teams close - with a high-scoring tie against England, and a last-over loss to South Africa. However, all that changed in the knockouts, as India kicked out Australia in the quarters, ravaged through arch-rivals Pakistan in the semis, and landed up in the final - however, notably, without any significant contributions from MS Dhoni himself. However, it was in the final, that Dhoni played a knock that he will forever be remembered for - 91* off 79 in a run-chase of 275 against Sri Lanka in a World Cup winning effort from the captain.
He went into the 2015 edition as captain once again, as India entered the tournament on the back of heartbreaking losses in Australia. However, India turned their fortunes around, reaching the semi-finals without a single loss. However, in the penultimate stage, they crashed out against Australia with a 95-run defeat. Dhoni goes into the 2019 World Cup after conceding the captaincy to Virat Kohli in late 2016, but continues to form the backbone of the batting line-up, not to mention, forming the cognitive core of the team's brains. The 2019 World Cup, perceived to be Dhoni's last, didn't really go according to plan although he endured a decent tournament. In the semifinal, he along with Ravindra Jadeja were the only men who showed fight but the finisher wasn't able to finish off the chase.
MS Dhoni - A career in numbers
Dhoni averaged 102.71 in successful run-chases! © AFP
MS Dhoni has bid adieu to international cricket more than a year since his last assignment in the 2019 World Cup. The wicketkeeper-batsman from Jharkhand enjoyed a remarkable career both behind the wickets and in front and leaves the game as one of the best to ever grace the game, especially in the 50-overs format where he left an indelible legacy both as a player and as a captain.
His career highlights include winning World T20 in 2007, World Cup in 2011, Champions Trophy in 2013 and captaining India when they were the number one ranked side in Test cricket. On a personal capacity, he has won the ICC ODI Player of the Year award multiple times as well as was adjudicated the Man of the Match in the final of the 2011 World Cup. He is India's second most capped player across formats with 535 appearances and is the third most successful wicketkeeper in terms of dismissals (829) behind Mark Boucher and Adam Gilchrist. He stepped down from the Test team during India's tour of Australia in 2014/15.
Career
Here is a look into his ODI career through numbers.
Dhoni entered the Indian cricket scene in the 2004 series in Bangladesh following his rich exploits for India A in Kenya earlier that year. He soon hit the straps with a century in just his fifth ODI - 148 against Pakistan in Vizag in early 2005. He followed it up with the unbeaten 183 against Sri Lanka in Jaipur later that year and consolidated his position in India's middle order.
He forged a successful partnership with the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina in the lower middle order which has been India's soft underbelly up until then. The Yuvraj-Dhoni duo was the backbone of India's middle order on which India achieved huge success in the ODI format in that period where they strung together a record successive 17 successful run-chases. He aggregated 3000+ partnership runs with both Raina (3585) and Yuvraj (3105) at averages of 56.90 and 51.75, respectively. In the first phase of his career, Dhoni fulfilled the role of the power hitter who often provided the impetus to the innings in the final overs.
Dhoni - career in three phases
Following the World T20 win in South Africa in 2007 under his leadership, Dhoni was handed over the reins of the ODI team in late 2007. Dhoni revamped his batting as he changed from a power hitter to a more risk-free consolidator in the middle order. This new batting approach was more effective, had far-reaching effects and kind of established Dhoni's vestige as the doyen of run chases in the 50-over format.
The eight-year period since he took over captaincy till end of the World Cup in 2015, it turned out to be the purple patch of his career which largely defined his legacy in the game. In this period, only four players scored more runs than Dhoni of which three were predominantly top order batsmen - Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virat Kohli - while the fourth, AB de Villiers, batted mostly at #4. Dhoni scored more than 5000 runs batting at #5 or lower at a superb average of 53.98.
Along with being one of the best ODI batsmen of the era, he was among the best wicketkeepers in addition to being tactically one of the most astute captains in limited-overs cricket. It was in this period that he led India to its three major series wins - starting off with a tri-series win in Australia in 2008 with a relatively young side followed by India's first World Cup win in 28 years in 2011, and that was followed by a Champions Trophy win in 2013 in the midst of spot-fixing scandal which engulfed Indian cricket around the time.
Most ODI runs between Oct 2007 & Mar 2015
His powers as a finisher in ODIs waned considerably in the period post the World Cup in 2015 as his game was found out, especially A he took considerable time to get his eye in. Flashes of brilliance came in between but that was far too few. In the 88 ODIs in this period he averaged 44.58 at a strike rate of 82.03. What was significant was his dip in numbers in run-chases in this phase - average of 44.16 and a strike rate of 72.20, but India lost 17 of the 34 times he batted in a run-chase in this period. In a way, his final innings of India in the semifinal of World Cup 2019 best exemplified Dhoni's struggles in the last few years of his career.
The master of ODI run chases
Dhoni in his peak was synonymous to the best finisher in ODI cricket. Sachin Tendulkar apart, no other player has been part of more successful run-chases in ODI cricket than Dhoni's 116 appearances. He batted in 75 of those games and remained unbeaten in 47 of those - averaged a barely believable 102.71 in these games. In nine of the 47 innings he remained unbeaten at the end, he sealed the game with a six, the most famous of them being one off Nuwan Kulasekara in the 2011 World Cup final at the Wankhede.
Highest average in successful run-chases (20+ innings)
India lost only 38 of the 153 ODIs when they chased a target under 300 when Dhoni was in the side. In the 108 chases that Dhoni batted when the target was below 300, he averaged 60.48 with 29 scores of 50 or more and remained unbeaten a whopping 46 times.
Dhoni in ODI run chases
There are 35 cricketers who led their country and kept wickets simultaneously in ODI cricket. Dhoni leads the list with 200 such instances with Pakistan's Sarfraz Ahmed at a distant second with 50 matches donning the twin hats. Dhoni scored 6641 runs in these 200 matches with six centuries - 4885 runs more than the second-placed Kumar Sangakkara. Dhoni's average of 53.55 as wicketkeeper-captain is dwarfed only by AB de Villiers' 71.45 but the latter took the dual responsibility in just 30 ODIs - just about a seventh of what Dhoni did.
Indian cricket emerged from a perennial bridesmaid to a world beating unit during Dhoni's career. Having lost 16 of the last 17 completed finals, Dhoni led India to wins in all three major ICC events, Asia Cup as well a tri-series Down Under. As the stats and trophies underline, Dhoni leaves behind a successful legacy as a captain, batsman and wicketkeeper.
Some of the records held by Dhoni in white-ball cricket
1 Dhoni remains the only captain to win all the three ICC trophies - World T20 in South Africa in 2007, World Cup at home in 2011 and Champions Trophy in England in 2013. His 332 matches at the helm across formats happen to be the most by any player. For more numbers about his captaincy, please refer here
444 Dismissals made by Dhoni in ODI cricket - third-most in the history of the format behind Kumar Sangakkara (482) and Adam Gilchrist (472). Dhoni took 321 catches behind the stumps and effected 123 stumpings - the only player to effect more than 100 stumpings in the format.
183 Dhoni's unbeaten 183 against Sri Lanka in Jaipur in 2005 is the highest individual score made by a player designated as a wicketkeeper in ODIs. It remained his career-best in the format and also is the joint second-highest individual score in a run-chase in ODIs.
11 Players scoring more runs in ODI cricket than Dhoni's 10773 runs. 8324 of these runs came batting at number five or below - more than 2000 runs ahead of any other player batting in these positions. He scored seven hundreds batting at number five or below which is the joint most in ODIs alongside Yuvraj Singh and Jos Buttler.
84 Instances of Dhoni remaining unbeaten in ODIs - the most by any player. Of the 84 instances, 50 came in run-chases of which India went on to win 47 with one ending in a tie and two in defeats.
3484 Partnership runs for Dhoni with Raina in ODIs - the most by a pair for the fourth wicket or below in the format. The duo has batted together 71 times for the fourth wicket or below and averaged 57.11 per stand, hitting nine century partnerships.
91 Dismissals by Dhoni in T20 Internationals - the most by a wicketkeeper. He has pouched 57 catches and effected 34 stumpings - both the most by a wicketkeeper in the format.
6 Dhoni led India in all the six World T20s so far held - no other player from a full member team has led their respective side in more than three editions. Dhoni led India to title glory in the inaugural edition in 2007, was runners up to Sri Lanka in 2014 and reached semifinals the last time the event was held in 2016
MS Dhoni's top ODI knocks
MS Dhoni's top ODI knocks
Dhoni made a sensational 91* in Mumbai to help India win the 2011 World Cup © Getty
148 v Pakistan, Vishakapatnam - 2005
It was only Dhoni's fifth innings in international cricket when he slammed an enterprising 123-ball 148 against arch-rivals Pakistan in Vizag. He was in the middle at No. 3 for the first time for India, under pressure to justify his place in the side. Alongside Virender Sehwag, he added 96 in just over 10 overs as India were on course for a massive total. In a wide array of strokes on display in his knock of 15 fours and four sixes, he tore into Pakistan's bowlers, especially once he had reached his century. The otherwise effective Shahid Afridi conceded 80 in nine overs as Dhoni powered India to 359, falling for 148 that came off just 123 for his maiden ODI ton. "The cameras used to pass by me; now they're stopping for me," he had said then. Little did he know that it was just the beginning.
183 v Sri Lanka, Jaipur - 2005
Just months after he plundered Pakistan for his maiden century, Dhoni destroyed Sri Lanka for the highest score by a wicketkeeper in an ODI. His stunning unbeaten 145-ball 183 outshone Kumar Sangakkara's unbeaten 138 in the same game, leading India to a comfortable win by six wickets, chasing 299. It was Dhoni once again in at No. 3 and again, he delivered. He struggled with cramps in the heat of Jaipur, which had him score his last 53 runs with a runner. Beginning with blunting Chaminda Vaas's new-ball threat, he was cautious against Muralitharan's spin before launching an attack once more in the second powerplay. With Dhoni at that stage in his career where he was knocking on the Test team's doors, this knock proved that he could mix brain with brawn, aggression with caution, to perfection to have India come out on top, as they did that day.
91* v Bangladesh, Dhaka - 2007
Once again at No. 3, a spot in the line-up that Dhoni was increasingly making his own as he had shown earlier, he battled through hamstring issues to limp to an unbeaten 91 to take India over the line against Bangladesh in Dhaka. Chasing 251 for a win, Dhoni limped through most of his stay during his 106-ball knock in a rain-shortened match of 47 overs. Wickets around him had India in a spot of bother as they were reduced to 144 for 5. His crucial, unbeaten stand of 107 with Dinesh Karthik (58*) is what saw India through eventually in an unconvincing win. It was an innings much unlike a traditional Dhoni one - he had to work hard for every run scored. He was lucky to have survived a reprieve against a leg-before call early on after having been trapped plumb in front. Despite a cramped hamstring, he battled through in a gritty innings, keeping his calm and carrying on. His knock of an unbeaten 91 comprised of seven fours as he steered India across the line with six balls to spare.
91* v Sri Lanka, Mumbai - World Cup 2011
India were in trouble at 31 for 2 in a chase of 275 for the highest-ever in a World Cup final. With Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag back in the tent, much of the onus lay on Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli. They offered resistance for an 83-run stand, before the latter fell for 35. It was at that moment that MS Dhoni walked out, promoting himself up the order in place of an in-form Yuvraj Singh. Despite being reduced to the ground by a stiff back, under immense pressure of the occasion and expectation, Dhoni stepped up, and how. His highest outing at a World Cup until that point was just 34, but he fixed the statistics with a spectacular 79-ball unbeaten 91 to take India over the line, dispatching Nuwan Kulasekara over the long-on fence for a six to seal the deal in theatrical style and end India's wait of 28 years.
113 v Pakistan, Chennai - 2012
Dhoni found himself under immense pressure in Chennai after India's top-five batsmen were sent back for single-digit scores. Coming in at 29 for 5, Dhoni's role was to build the innings with Suresh Raina and help take India to a defendable score while Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan were breathing fire.Dhoni's approach was simple: play with a straight bat and keep the scoreboard ticking without even attempting the big shots because there were no pure batsmen after that pair. His first boundary came only after 78 balls of his stay, which had earned him 34 runs. Chennai's heat was sapping, yet, he stuck it out, even upping the tempo towards the end with ease to surpass 7000 ODI runs, en route a valiant century, that he brought up with a six. In the end, he remained unbeaten on 113 off 125, comprising of seven fours and three sixes, taking India to 227 in 50 overs. However, Nasir Jamshed's unbeaten 101 helped Pakistan chase the total down with just under two overs to spare.
50 v India v Sri Lanka, Adelaide - 2008
In pursuit of a target of 239, India seemed to be in a spot of bother at 35 for 3 and more so at 158 for 5. Enter Dhoni. The Indian captain and Irfan Pathan harried between the wickets to keep the scorecard ticking over. There was that occasional top edge from Pathan as the tension mounted. The pair brought the equation down to 28 off 24 when the all-rounder was castled by Ishara Amerasinghe. Praveen Kumar didn't last long either, top-edging Amerasinghe to Mahela Jayawardene. At that crucial stage, Dhoni and Harbhajan joined forces and looked set to take India past the finishing line but Malinga trapped the latter with a searing yorker that tailed in late and India were nine down. However, Dhoni, eventually, pinched a couple of runs to clinch a nerve-wracking win in the final over.
58* v Sri Lanka, Adelaide - 2012
February 14, 2012 turned to be a normal day in the office for Dhoni as the veteran played with calmness to steer India to a tie versus Sri Lanka. India required 24 off just two overs. Just in the nick of time, Pathan thwacked a six off Angelo Mathews to keep India in the game. Dhoni followed it up by bisecting the gap through deep midwicket with needlepoint perfection. India needed 9 off the final over and there was more drama in the middle when Vinay Kumar was run out off the fifth ball. The equation came down to four off just one ball. And it came down to Malinga versus Dhoni. Two champion cricketers going head-to-head. Dhoni stretched and managed to lift one through covers. It could have even scurried to the boundary hoardings, but the fielder stationed at covers put in a desperate dive as the game ended in a pulsating tie.
45* v Sri Lanka, Port of Spain - 2013
When there is crisis, Dhoni is set to script a heist. It has become synonymous with the folklore of Indian cricket for a period of time. On numerous occasions, the legendary 'keeper-batsman has rescued India from precarious positions. And they needed their lynchpin to do it once more against Sri Lanka in the tri-series final at Port of Spain in 2013. On a typical slow track, India had slid to 145 for 5, while chasing down a target of 202. To make matters worse, Rangana Herath trapped Ravindra Jadeja with the arm ball, while Lasith Malinga bowled a trademark deceptive slow yorker to send Bhuvneshwar Kumar back to the pavilion. Vinay Kumar, too, didn't last long and at 182 for 9, India were in all sorts of trouble. However, Dhoni was still around and India believed. After a couple of nervy moments, it came down to 15 off the final over. The seasoned campaigner opened up by sending a Shaminda Eranga delivery for a six over long off and provided the finishing touches with another glorious shot wide of long off. There was jubilation in the Indian camp and an ecstatic Ishant Sharma also hugged Dhoni. Just that the wicketkeeper-batsman was his usual self - calm and collected.
139 v Australia, Mohali - 2013
With India six down and Virat Kohli back in the hut, the hosts were in deep trouble against Australia in Mohali. Just the kind of precarious situation for Dhoni to play one of those blinders. Ravichandran Ashwin, batting at No. 8, provided the required support as the pair added an invaluable 76-run stand. Once Ashwin was dismissed, Dhoni farmed the strike in his trademark style to pilot India past the 300-run mark. He also lit up the stadium by clobbering James Faulkner for two fours and two sixes in the last over.
134 vs England, Cuttack - 2017
When India were reeling at 25 for 3, with Chris Woakes on fire, Dhoni yet again had to play the saviour. He also had his long time batting partner, Yuvraj Singh at the other end. It was Yuvraj who gave India the impetus by cracking a string of boundaries against Liam Plunkett and Jake Ball. It was in the 14th over when Dhoni tried to press the accelerator pedal with a crunchy cut shot off Ball. Once Yuvraj fell, Dhoni decided to up the ante as India collected a massive 100 runs off the last 42 balls to finish with a monstrous 381. In the final overs, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja also joined in the fun, as India smacked a string of boundaries. The highlight of Dhoni's batting in the death overs was the way he charged down the track and swiped Plunkett across the line for an eye-catching six.
'The world has seen his achievements, I've seen the person'
'The world has seen his achievements, I've seen the person'
Dhoni has retired from international cricket at the age of 39 © Getty
Tributes poured in from all around after MS Dhoni, the former India skipper and two-time World Cup winner, announced his retirement from international cricket.
Here are some of the reactions:
The legend retires in his own style as always, @msdhoni bhai you have given it all for the country. The champions trophy triumph, 2011 World Cup and the glorious @ChennaiIPL triumphs will always be etched in my memory. Good luck for all your future endeavours. #MSDhoni
Welcome to the retirement club, MSD! What a magical career! 🤝
Always Carefree...never careless. Understood the importance of ‘moments’ but never got overawed by them. Redefined wicket keeping....mastered the art of finishing. An end of an era. MSD, one of the finest the world has seen. Or will ever see. Go well 🙌🙏 #MSDhoni
Elder brother, mentor, captain and above all a legend of the game. Learnt so much from you skipper. The game will miss you 💙 #legend
Congratulations @msdhoni on an incredible career. T20, ODI WC 🏆 winning captain and took India to No 1 Test team in the world. A man who grafted hard to get to the top and proceeded to keep us on the edge of our seats. #MSDhoni
15 August 2020 - a day of goodbyes in #cricket! #SureshRaina has joined #MSDhoni in his international retirement. 322 matches, 7988 runs, 48 stellar half centuries and 7x💯 Thank you, #Raina! You've been such a champion for 🇮🇳 See you at the #IPL2020 @ImRaina 💜
For Indian Cricket, some shoes will never be filled. One of them is Mahi bhai #MSDhoni#dhoniretires
Congratulations on a wonderful career @msdhoni !You were one of the best captains ever to step onto a cricket field & I m blessed to have shared some special moments with you! I wish you and your family the same success in your next innings! #MSDhoni
Congrats @msdhoni on a superb career.👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 All the best for the next chapter, Champ!
An inspiration to millions. The true definition of a captain. Thank you for everything you’ve done for the game🇮🇳💙 #MSDhoni
It was a privilege to have played with a friend and a cricketer who gave many laurels to our country on the cricketing field, very very greatly done on your career @msdhoni #dhoniretires
You have been such an inspiration to every sports person. Made the entire nation proud with your incredible achievements. Thanks for all the great & miraculous memories Mahi bhai. Have a happy retirement & very best wishes for your second innings 🤗 @msdhoni #Dhoni #DhoniRetires
The helicopter has landed! #ThankYouDhoni
Thank you dhoni bhai ❤️ 🙏@msdhoni
15 August 2020 - a day of goodbyes in #cricket! #SureshRaina has joined #MSDhoni in his international retirement. 322 matches, 7988 runs, 48 stellar half centuries and 7x💯 Thank you, #Raina! You've been such a champion for 🇮🇳 See you at the #IPL2020 @ImRaina
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