Mahendra Singh Dhoni, known to be one of India’s most successful captains turned 41 today. He is one of the most loved and followed personalities among Indian fans and in the cricketing fraternity across the world. The 41-year-old has built an untouchable legacy, with leadership skills turning him into the all times greats of the sport. Let’s revisit the journey of one of the greatest ever captains to have graced the game.
Born in Ranchi, Jharkhand the former Indian captain made his debut for India in December 2004. The middle order batter failed to grab the opportunity and was run-out for a duck, in his first game for India. Things did not look bright for MS Dhoni, till his 5th ODI against Pakistan.
He shocked everyone with his explosive batting and smashed 148 runs from just 123 while missing 15 fours and four sixes in Visakhapatnam. Later on, his innings of 183* from 145 balls against Sri Lanka caught the eyes of fans across the globe. The wicket-keeper batter had pocketed 15 fours and hit ten sixes helping India chase down a target of 299 in his 22nd outing.
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Since that innings, MS Dhoni became a popular name in the world cricket and was a main stay in the national team set up. He was known for his aggressive and counter-attacking style of play which also saw the wicket keeper turn into a crucial part of the Indian side.
Dhoni’s career completely changed he was appointed as the captain of the Indian team for the inaugural T20 World Cup 2007. He took a young team of inexperienced cricketers to World Cup glory at Johannesburg, South Africa and became just the second Indian captain to lift an ICC World Cup trophy. Later, he went to pocket yet another trophy as India won the 50-overs World Cup in 2011 by defeating Sri Lanka in the finals in Mumbai.
Already one of the most iconic captains in India’s history by 2011, MS Dhoni turned out to be the most successful skipper in cricket in 2013. Just 2 years after the 50 overs World Cup win, he went on to win yet another global title, as India defeated England to lift the Champions Trophy at the Lords.
The Men in Blue managed to defeat the Three Lions by a mere 5 run margin in a rain-curtailed final which saw Dhoni complete his treble of ICC trophies. So far, the 41-year-old remains to be the only skipper in world cricket to win all the ICC Trophies.
It would be criminal of us if we do not speak about MS Dhoni’s jaw dropping captaincy record in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The wicket keeper has led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to 4 four titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021. CSK has turned out to be one of the most successful teams under his leadership, while creating a record of reaching the finals’ nine times. MS Dhoni has also won two Champions League (CL) titles with CSK in 2010 and 2014.
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Smit is a sports writer at Gutshot Magazine. After completing his Bachelor’s in Mass Media, and a Master’s degree in Sports Management, this sports fanatic uses articles as a tool to express his opinions. Bring up cricket or football and you will find this usually quiet guy speak for hours! He also co-heads the official supporters club of Chelsea FC in Mumbai, wherein he hosts screenings, football meets and other such events.
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