In a country like India where cricket happens to be so much more than a sport, cricketers often gain worship-worthy status. It is naturally impossible then, for us to forget our most iconic “captain-cool”- Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The right-handed batsman, after all, has won over billions; hitting balls aggressively along with a face that can give any poker expert a run for his money, finishing nail-biting matches with his trademark helicopter shots and stumping batsmen with the ferocity of a cheetah.
His is a typical rags-to-riches tale of a small-towner making it into the heart of a nation; highlighting the victory of determination against all odds.
In an international career spanning 15 glorious years, Dhoni has acquired various accolades, records, and jaw-dropping victories, which makes it extremely difficult for us to choose 5 most iconic MS Dhoni moments. But, hey, we are up for the task!
1. The knock that changed his life
When Dhoni strolled down the pitch on the 2nd match of the India-Pakistan ODI Series in 2005, he carried the weight of a failed performance in his debut Bangladesh Tour in 2004. His memorable 148 knocks off 123 balls, however, silenced wagging tongues and sent India into a joyous frenzy. For Dhoni, this was just the start of a record-breaking career.
2. Proving he was not the unlikely Captain
From 2004-2007, Dhoni’s career graph was a mixture of highs and lows, which was why his appointment as the captain for the ICC World Twenty20 squad that lacked bigwigs like Tendulkar, Dravid, and Ganguly came as a shock for the experts. Of course, Dhoni did what he is now known for; he grabbed the inaugural World T20 Cup.
3. Not only ODIs, Dhoni aced Test Cricket and IPL too
The World T20 Cup was like tasting blood for Dhoni; for the years 2009-2010 witnessed him leading India to number 1 in ICC Test Rankings; a first for India. However, his flair in this format of the game peaked with his first double-ton against Australia in 2013, a tournament India won by 4-0; whitewashing Australia after 40 years. Back home, Dhoni-led ‘Chennai Super Kings’ clinched the Indian Premier League Trophy in 2010, the 1st of 3 title wins the team has witnessed since.
4. Lifting the World Cup with swagger
MS Dhoni’s final six had the raucous crowd of Wankhede collectively hold its breath until it landed amongst the crowd bringing India its 2nd World Cup Title after 28 years. His tactical decision to come in at number 5 and his 91 not out brought him the ‘Man of the Match’ award.
5. First and only Captain to lift all 3 Limited-Overs ICC Trophies
Dhoni completed his ICC-Title trio wins with the Champions Trophy in 2013 where India glided unbeaten to the finale where they crushed England under his able leadership.
Phew! Those were our 5 picks. We are sure you have a list of your own, so do share in the comment section below.