In the history of professional cricket, many remarkable captains who have led their teams with finesse have come and gone. Still, no one comes close to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, aka Captain Cool, in any aspect. Besides being an all-time favorite pick of daily fantasy cricket apk players, Dhoni was and is still worshiped like a God by millions of cricket lovers globally.
Although the ex-Indian skipper retired from all forms of international cricket officially on 15th August 2020, the impact that the man from Ranchi, Bihar, has had on the sport is remarkable. Given Dhoni’s achievements throughout his long and thrilling international cricket career, it would be a treat to look back and live through his wonderful journey. Therefore, in this article, we will dive deep into Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s international cricket career. Let us get started:
Dhoni’s International Cricket Debut – Where It All Began:
On December 23, 2004, Mahendra Singh Dhoni entered the world of international cricket by donning the Indian jersey against Bangladesh in Chittagong in a one-day international match. The wicketkeeper-batsman stepped into the ground at number 7.
He managed to make his place in the international squad after showing exceptional performances as a batsman of the U-19 Bihar team. As a result, he was selected for India A team’s tour of Kenya in 2004. He played brilliantly and made a place for himself in the India team for the Bangladesh tour in 2004.
Sadly, on his international debut, he returned to the pavilion after getting run out on the first ball. Little did people know that the young boy from Ranchi would become one of the greatest captains and finishers ever.
How Dhoni Became the Captain of the Indian Team:
Although he had a disappointing debut in international cricket, he turned his reputation around by being a consistent, hard-hitting batsman and a highly agile wicketkeeper. By doing so, he made a place for himself in the Indian team. In 2007, Dhoni was appointed as the Indian Cricket Team’s captain. The main reason for him becoming the captain was his top-notch leadership skills and calm demeanor on the field.
The decision of the BCCI to make Dhoni the captain received a lot of criticism and backlash from everywhere since he was comparatively inexperienced than some other players and had no experience leading a cricket team internationally. However, his success as a player, especially as a capable skipper, silenced everyone.
Dhoni’s International Career Statistics – A Brief Look:
Besides being an amazing captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni created magic with his bat as a middle-order batsman. Here is an overview of his international cricket career’s statistics:
1. Test Matches –
Dohi has played 90 test matches and 144 innings in total. He has scored a total of 4876 runs, and his overall average stands at 38.09 runs.
2. ODIs –
MS Dhoni is one of the few players who has played 350 ODIs. In just 297 innings, Captain Cool scored 10773 runs. His average stands at a solid 50.57 runs.
3. T20Is –
The ex-skipper of the Indian cricket team has been a part of 98 T20Is in his career. In the 85 innings that he has played, Dhoni has scored 1617 runs with a commendable average of 37.60 runs.
Major Achievements of Dhoni’s International Career:
Thanks to his S-tier leadership skills and top-tier batting and wicket keeping, Mahendra Singh Dhoni bagged many international accolades for Team India throughout his career. Here is a look at some of the most prominent ones:
1. ICC World Cup (2007) –
The inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup was held in South Africa in 2007. Under the captaincy of Dhoni, team India managed to bag the title of champions and bring glory to the country and its millions of fans.
2. ICC ODI World Cup (2011) –
Dhoni led team India to win the most prestigious trophy in international cricket after 21 years. His inning in the final match against Sri Lanka is still remembered as one of the best ones, thanks to the final six that he struck to bag the marvelous win.
3. ICC Champions Trophy (2013) –
Under the capable leadership of Dhoni, India became winners of the ICC Champions Trophy, which England and Wales hosted in 2013.
MS Dhoni is the only captain in cricket history to win all three ICC trophies. Besides this, the calm-headed ex-skipper of India has bagged multiple other international trophies, including:
- Asia Cup (2010, 2016)
- Commonwealth Bank Series (2008)
- Border-Gavaskar Trophy (2008, 2013)
- Independence Cup (2008)
- Nidahas Trophy (2018)
Dhoni’s Retirement from International Cricket – The End of an Era
Six years after deciding to retire from test cricket, Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his official departure from all forms of international cricket in a cryptic way via his official Instagram handle.
The post featured a slideshow of multiple images that depicted the major moments of his career, and the caption read, “Thanks a lot for your support throughout. From 1929 hrs consider me as Retired”.
This post broke uncountable hearts across the country, and this is how the glorious international career of the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman came to an end.
Conclusion:
After retiring from all forms of international cricket 3 years ago, Dhoni continued playing domestic leagues like the IPL. All good things come to an end, which is a saying that sits perfectly well with Dhoni’s international cricket career.
His contribution to Indian cricket is and will remain immeasurable. He was, is, and will always be a cricket legend, and his magnificent legacy will continue to aspire future generations of cricketers.
What a tremendous performance to watch Dhoni in IPL 2023.What happened when Dhoni retired, his batting is still entertaining people.And he’s setting so many records it’s hard to keep count