Former Indian captain MS Dhoni turned 45 on Tuesday. Dhoni, popularly known as ‘Captain Cool’, made India win ICC T20 World Cup 2007, Cricket World Cup 2011 and Champions Trophy 2013 under his captaincy. His journey was very inspiring.
New Delhi [भारत]July 7 (ANI): Former Indian captain and ‘Captain Cool’ MS Dhoni turned 45 on Tuesday. Dhoni’s journey has been the most inspiring in the history of the game. From working as a ticket collector at a railway station, he became India’s biggest trophy collector, leading the team to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2007, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013 as captain.
He made his international debut in 2004 and made his mark as an aggressive hitter of the cricket ball, but with time he transformed into a finisher who led his team to victory with his calculated aggression and amazing strategy. With 17,266 international runs and 829 dismissals in 538 matches across all formats for India, Dhoni is not only one of the greatest cricketers of the game but also a revolutionary who redefined the role of the wicketkeeper-batsman and changed India’s approach to limited overs cricket.
Dhoni’s excellent record in ODI
In 350 One Day International (ODI) matches, Dhoni scored 10,773 runs at an extraordinary average of 50.57, including 10 centuries and 73 half-centuries, and his career best score is 183 not out. He remains India’s sixth-highest run-scorer in ODIs, with Sachin Tendulkar leading the list with 18,426 runs. What makes Dhoni’s record truly remarkable is that he scored over 10,000 ODI runs while batting predominantly in the middle order, and maintained an average above 50 despite often coming to the crease under pressure and with fewer overs. He led India in 200 ODI matches, winning 110 and losing 74. Five matches were tied, while 11 had no result. His winning percentage is 55.
Captaincy and performance in T20I
In 98 T20 Internationals, Dhoni scored 1,617 runs at an average of 37.60 and a strike rate of 126.13, including two half-centuries and a highest score of 56. While his batting statistics are impressive, it was his captaincy that really defined his T20I legacy. As captain, he led India to its first ICC T20 World Cup title in 2007, laying the foundation of a new era in Indian cricket. Affectionately known as ‘Mahi’, he led India in 72 T20Is, winning 41 matches, losing 28, tied one and two ended in no result, and finished with a win percentage of 56.94.
Left his mark in test cricket also
Talking about his long format career, Dhoni played 90 matches, scoring 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09. He scored six centuries and 33 half-centuries, with a best score of 224. He is the 14th highest run scorer for India in Tests. As Test captain, Dhoni led India in 60 matches, winning 27, losing 18 and drawing 15, and finished with a win percentage of 45.00. His tenure marked a decisive phase in India’s Test cricket journey, as he led the team to the No. 1 position in the ICC Test rankings for the first time. He also etched his name in history as the only Indian captain to whitewash Australia in a Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, leading them to impressive 4-0 wins in both the 2010–11 and 2012–13 home series. (ANI)
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