While the 4th ODI between India and Sri Lanka on Thursday will have no impact on the outcome of the series, but it is bound to be a special occasion for former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The wicketkeeper-batsman will be playing in his 300th ODI match when Virat Kohli & Co. turn up at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium.
In 299 ODIs so far, Dhoni has accumulated 9608 runs with 65 fifties and 10 hundred. Barring Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni is arguably the most popular and definitely the most scrutinised cricketer from India. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India have won the top prize in all formats: the No.1 Test ranking for 18 months starting December 2009, the 50-over World Cup in 2011 and the World Twenty20 on his captaincy debut in 2007.
Born on July 7, 1981, in Ranchi, Dhoni is the third child to Pan Singh Dhoni. He initially had an interest in badminton and football until his teacher asked him to join the school cricket team. He burst on the international scene as a sprightly 23-year-old and made the wicketkeeper batsman’s position on his own. In less than three years, despite the presence of heavyweights in the side, Dhoni was named captain of India’s limited overs side. Not long after that, he took over the reins of the Test captaincy from Anil Kumble and Team India were soon on their way to greatness. 2007 World T20, 2011 World Cup, Champions Trophy, No.1 Test team – Dhoni has done everything humanly possible as captain and a finisher par excellence.
However, we know about Dhoni the cricketer, the husband, the father and the man behind Indian cricket’s biggest success stories. But there is still lot more to him than what meets the eye. Even after achieving almost everything in an international career, MSD remains a deep-rooted and humble man who began his career from the small town of Ranchi in Jharkhand. Dhoni has always tried to steer as far away from the controversies as he can and keeps his private life away from the media glare. Here are some of his interesting records.
AFP PHOTO / Jewel SAMAD |
MSD has scored nine centuries in his ODI career from 278 matches. Interestingly, he has scored two centuries while batting at number seven in ODIs which is the most by any batsman in ODIs while batting at that number. Dhoni has scored one ODI hundred while batting at number seven against Pakistan in 2012 while the other he scored for Asia XI against Africa XI in 2007. Meanwhile, there are 12 batsmen who have scored at least a century while batting at number seven.
AFP PHOTO / Jewel SAMAD |
MS Dhoni has captained India in 324 international matches till date and scored 10,964 runs. He has hit 204 sixes in international cricket as captain of the Indian team, the most by any captain in international cricket. Ricky Ponting is in the second place with 171 sixes from 324 matches as a captain of Australia/ICC World XI.
AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON |
MSD is not known only in the world for his out-of-the-box thinking captaincy but also for his quickness behind the stumps as a wicket-keeper. MS has claimed 160 stumping in 466 international matches, the most by any wicket-keep till date. There are only three wicket-keeper in history of international cricket who have more than 100 stumping to their name.
In the second ODI against Sri Lanka, Dhoni had 98 stumping to his name, one behind Lankan Kumar Sangakkara. He equaled Sanga at 99 when he claimed the scalp of Danushka Gunathilaka off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chachal. And now, with just ODIs remaining, Dhoni needs just one strumping to become the first wicketkeeper in ODI history to the three-figure mark.
AFP PHOTO / Jewel SAMAD |
You cannot keep Mahi out of action. Few months back, he surpassed the legendary Adam Gilchrist by becoming the second highest run-getter as a wicket-keeper. MS Dhoni has scored 9608 runs of 299 matches at an average of 51.93. Former Sri Lankan skipper Kumara Sangakkara has scored 13,341 runs from 360 matches at an average of above 43.
MS Dhoni has scored 1069 runs in T20Is as captain of India in 70 matches, the most by any captain in T20I history. He has the highest score of 48* which means he hasn’t scored a fifty in T20Is yet and therefore he has scored the most runs in T20Is without scoring a fifty. The next batsman in the list is Gary Wilson of Ireland who has scored 673 runs from 46 T20I matches for Ireland without scoring a fifty.
MS Dhoni has captained India in 70 T20I matches and out of which India has won 41 matches. The wicket-keeper batsman has won the most number of matches as captain in T20Is. The next captain in the list is West Indies’ Darren Sammy who has won 27 T20I matches as captain.
Remember, the Johannesburg Test between India and South Africa in 2013 where both AB de Villiers and MS Dhoni tried their hand with the ball? This is, in fact, the only occasion in Test history when wicket-keepers from both sides have bowled at least an over each. On the other hand, Mahi has bowled a spell in nine international matches while playing as a wicket-keeper.
Greatest ODI player?
Dhoni is known to be one of the greatest ODI players in history and over the years has been the best finisher in limited-overs cricket. His awesome but unconventional batting skills has helped him average over 50 in ODI cricket despite his batting position in the middle order. He has the highest batting average among wicketkeepers in ODIs.
Mahi’s love for Indian Army
Dhoni has always maintained that the Army is his first love and he was conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel on 1 November 2011. “I love my country, I tell my wife she is only the third most important after my country and my parents, in that order,” Dhoni once said. Interestingly, his wicket-keeping gloves are a tribute to the Indian Army
Double ton in Test cricket
In 2013, Dhoni joined an elite list of wicket-keepers to score a double hundred in Test cricket when he scored 224 against Australia in Chennai to give India an 8-wicket win. Dhoni’s 265 ball knock was studded with 24 fours and six maximums.
