New Delhi: One of the greatest finishers the game has ever seen and India’s most successful captain of all time, MS Dhoni turned 43 on Sunday, July 07. Known as Captain Cool for keeping a calm demeanour under pressure, Dhoni led India to greater heights under his captaincy and made the team a force to reckon with. His exceptional game awareness coupled with his sharp cricketing acumen, helped the former India captain conquer one trophy after another.
From a prodigious small-town boy, Dhoni went on to become the heartbeat of Indian cricket and one of the greatest captains that the country has ever produced. From leading a young Indian side to a memorable triumph in the inaugural edition of T20 World Cup in 2007 to helping India end a 28-year-long wait for a second ODI World Cup crown, Dhoni won everything there was to be.
An unrivalled behemoth in the game, Dhoni continues to be one of the most revered cricketers across the globe despite living a simple life with limited public appearances. He rarely wants to hog the limelight but continues to receive unparalleled love from fans, who do not want to miss out on the slightest opportunity to get a glimpse of the legendary wicket-keeper batter.
Dhoni, who was born on July 7, 1981, made his India debut in December 2004 and quickly went on to establish his credentials as an exciting wicket-keeper batter. He cemented his spot across all formats in the national team and was chosen to lead India in the 2007 T20 World Cup after seniors asked to be rested following a disastrous ODI World Cup campaign earlier that year.
The Man with the ‘Midas touch’
Dhoni’s captaincy journey began with aplomb after he led India to their maiden T20 World Cup title in style after beating Pakistan in a nerve-wracking final. There was no looking back as Dhoni continued to shine as a leader and won one major tournament after another. He took over as India’s all-format captain in 2008 and led the team to numerous series victories.
The man with the ‘Midas touch’ led India to glory in the 2011 ODI World Cup before completing a historic treble as captain by inspiring India to Champions Trophy victory in 2013. Dhoni remains the only captain in the world to have won all three major ICC limited-overs trophies – the T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup and the Champions Trophy.
The Champions Trophy won under Dhoni in 2013 was India’s last major ICC title until Rohit Sharma & Co. brought an end to a long-standing wait by delivering a T20 World Cup title last month. It marked an end to an 11-year-long ICC trophy drought for India. Dhoni quit Test captaincy in 2014, handing over the baton to Virat Kohli before stepping down as captain in white-ball cricket in 2017.
Besides winning two World Cups and a Champions Trophy title, Dhoni guided India to the final of the 2014 T20 World Cup and the semi-finals of the 2015 ODI World Cup and the 2016 T20 World Cup, missing out on the trophies closely.
Captain par excellence
Dhoni finished his career as India’s most successful captain having led the team to 178 wins in 332 matches as captain, the most by an Indian. He also holds the record for leading in most matches as captain in international cricket ahead of the likes of Ricky Ponting and Stephen Fleming. Dhoni’s win percentage of 53.61 is only bettered by Ponting and Graeme Smith among captains, who lead their countries in more than 250 matches in international cricket.
India’s heartbreaking defeat in the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final against England turned out to be Dhoni’s last appearance for the country as he announced his retirement a year later. He finished with 10,773 runs in ODIs, 4876 runs in Tests and 1617 runs in T20Is, making him one of the most successful wicket-keeper batters of all time.
Dhoni continues to play for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL, however, there remain doubts over his future ahead of IPL 2025. He is one of the most successful captains in the IPL having led CSK to five titles and a staggering ten finals. Dhoni is also the sixth-highest run-getter of all time in IPL history with 5243 runs to his name in 229 innings at an average of 39.12 and a strike rate close to 138, including 24 fifties.
With a mega auction lined up later this year, it remains to be seen if Dhoni will continue playing for CSK next season as he is yet to make an official statement about his IPL future. Nonetheless, the fans would hope to see the man, the myth, the legend continue for another year and entertain them like he has been for two decades now.
The man with ‘Midas touch’, former India captain MS Dhoni celebrates his 43rd birthday on Sunday, July 07. Known as Captain Cool for his calm and composed nature, Dhoni remains the most successful captain for India across all formats. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
