Former Indian great Captain and Batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni A record-breaking leader, an efficient wicket-keeper, and one of the game’s greatest finishers announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket on 15 August 2020.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni played 90 test matches, 4876 runs with an average of 38.1 including six hundred and 33 fifties, he played 350 ODIs matches, 10773 runs with an average of 50.6 including ten hundred and 73 fifties and 98 T20I matches, 1613 runs with an average of 37.6.
Top 5 Greatest Knocks by Mahedra Singh Dhoni
- 183* v Sri Lanka, Jaipur, 2005
Dhoni’s match-winning innings of 183* against Sri Lanka broke all kinds of records. With Tendulkar dismissed in the very first over of a stiff run-chase, Dhoni came in at No.3 to keep the required run-rate within India’s reach. He hit 15 fours and 10 sixes in a brutal display of ball striking. He went past Adam Gilchrist’s 172 in the process, registering the highest score for a wicket-keeper batsman in one-day cricket.
2. 148 v Pakistan, Visakhapatnam, 2005
A masterstroke from the then Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly saw Dhoni score his first international century against Pakistan. Having already won the series opener in Kochi, Ganguly promoted Dhoni to No.3 after Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed in the fourth over. Having registered scores of 0, 12, 7* and 3 in his first four international outings, Dhoni announced himself on the biggest stage with a stroke-filled 148 off 123 balls.
3. 91* v Sri Lanka, Mumbai, 2011 (world cup Final)
Dhoni’s match-winning 91* against Sri Lanka in the final of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2011 remains the most significant performance of his career. The skipper, who had an average World Cup with the bat till then, saved his best for the biggest stage. When Virat Kohli was dismissed with India at 114/3 in a tricky run-chase of 275, Dhoni joined Gautam Gambhir in the middle, promoting himself above Yuvraj Singh to maintain a right-left batting combination against Muttiah Muralitharan and Suraj Randiv, the two lead spinners in the opponents’ ranks.
4. 113* v Pakistan, Chennai, 2012
Dhoni’s 113* against Pakistan, after his side were reduced to 29/5 in the 10th over, will go down as one of the best innings played by a No.7 batsman. Battling the Chennai heat and a tough bowling opposition, his 40-over stay at the crease showcased resistance and grit of the highest quality. He accumulated singles and doubles before hitting his first boundary off the 79th ball of the innings.
At one point, when even 150 seemed impossible, Dhoni’s counter-attack powered India to a respectable total of 227/6. However, his eighth ODI century wasn’t to be a match-winning one
5. 134 v England, Cuttack, 2017
Having stepped down from captaincy before the series, Dhoni’s ability to perform under pressure remained unparalleled. With India having lost their top three by the fifth over, Dhoni joined hands with Yuvraj to take India to a position of strength. The dynamic middle-order duo turned back the years, adding 256 for the fourth wicket as India finished on 381/6.
Dhoni played second fiddle to Yuvraj’s entertaining stroke-play early in the innings, before unleashing some big hits himself. India completed a 15-run win, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
