MS Dhoni retirement: Top 10 moments of former India captain's legendary career

After a year-long sabbatical, former India captain MS Dhoni ended his glorious international cricket career on Saturday, August 15, 2020. The 39-year-old last played in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup, where India lost to New Zealand. Tributes have flown in after the MS Dhoni retirement announcement and here’s a look at the top 10 MS Dhoni memorable moments in Indian cricket.

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MS Dhoni retirement: Top 10 MS Dhoni memorable moments

1. MS Dhoni records: 183* vs Sri Lanka in 2005

After an indifferent start to his international career, MS Dhoni showed his mettle against Pakistan by scoring a scintillating 148 in just his fifth ODI. However, that was just the start of an incredible career and the wicketkeeper-batsman from Jharkhand made headlines after smashing 183* a few months later in an ODI against Sri Lanka on home soil. The score remains India's highest by any batsman till date in the second innings of a match and is the highest score by a wicketkeeper-batsman in international cricket. 

2. MS Dhoni retires: 2007 T20 World Cup

After India crashed out in the group stage of the 2007 ODI World Cup, MS Dhoni was chosen to lead a young Indian team to South Africa for the inaugural T20 World Cup. The Indian captain’s calmness on the field and his astute captaincy meant that India lifted the inaugural title, beating arch-rivals Pakistan in a tense final. Misbah-ul-Haq had taken the Indian attack to the cleaners in the final overs of the clash but Dhoni turned to Joginder Sharma, a move which turned out to be a masterstroke as India won the clash by five runs. The T20 World Cup paved way for a T20 revolution in India, which began with the Indian Premier League in 2008.

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3. MS Dhoni retires: 2008 CB Series in Australia

India faced off against Australia and Sri Lanka in a triangular CB series in Australia in 2008. MS Dhoni's Men in Blue qualified for the finals, finishing second behind Australia winning three matches. In the three-match final series, India made a clean sweep, winning the first two finals to win the coveted trophy. MS Dhoni's captaincy received praise from all quarters and the Indian wicketkeeper was the third-highest run-getter in the tournament, scoring 347 runs in the tournament. 

4. MS Dhoni retires: 2009 Test series win in New Zealand

MS Dhoni was appointed as full-time captain across all formats after the retirement of Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly. After losing the T20I series, India bounced back in style clinch the ODI leg of the tour. In following three-match Test Series, India registred in a win in the first Test, followed by draws in the second and third to win their first Test series in New Zealand and India's first Test match victory in the country in over 33 years. 

5. MS Dhoni retires: No.1 Test team in the world in 2010

India continued to rise in the ICC Test rankings under MS Dhoni's leadership. The Indian captain received the Test championship mace after India surpassed South Africa to become World No.1 in Test cricket after winning 2-0 against Sri Lanka at home in late 2009, a series in which Dhoni scored two centuries. In the following series against South Africa at home, India lost the first Test by an innings only to make a startling comeback by winning the second Test in Kolkata to maintain their stranglehold of the rankings. India were the No.1 test team till August 2011 before England went past them. 

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6.  MS Dhoni retires: IPL 2010 win 

MS Dhoni, over the years, had established himself as one of the biggest names in international cricket and the Indian Premier League. In the first two seasons of the IPL, Chennai Super Kings bowed out in the knockout stage, losing the final and semi-final respectively, much to the disappointment of their expectant fanbase. However, MS Dhoni steered his team to victory in the 2010 final against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians. The wicket-keeper's astute captaincy and field placement saw CSK clinch the match after Kieron Pollard threatened to lead Mumbai to victory. CSK won the title in the IPL 2011 as well and to this date, they remain the only team to successfully defend their IPL title. 

7. MS Dhoni helicopter shot: 2011 World Cup win

India had not tasted success in a World Cup since Kapil Dev's side defeated the West Indies in 1983. 28 years on, when the World Cup was hosted in India, the nation were glued to their TV screens hoping for the Men in Blue to bring the trophy home. In the final at the Wankhede Stadium, India were in a spot of bother when Dhoni walked in to bat, but the Indian captain led from the front, combining with Gautam Gambhir to lead India's chase. In a fitting end, the Indian captain finished off with a six, ending India's wait for World Cup glory. 

8. MS Dhoni helicopter shot: Australia 4-0 and 224

When Australia toured India in 2013, a lot of questions surrounded MS Dhoni's captaincy and batting in the longest format of the game. India had lost 0-4 each on their tours to England and Australia before the former registered a 2-1 win in India. MS Dhoni in typical fashion made a statement in the first Test itself, scoring a double century to help India to a win. Dhoni's 224 laid foundations for India's domination in the series as the Men in Blue demolished the visiting Australian side 4-0. 

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9. MS Dhoni records: Champions Trophy 2013

MS Dhoni led an inexperienced side to England for the 2013 Champions Trophy. India reached the final on the back of stellar performances from Shikhar Dhawan, but Dhoni's use of spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in foreign conditions caught the eye. In a rain-affected final, the Indian captain made a number of game-changing decisions, including bringing back Ishant Sharma into the attack and holding up his spinners for the final overs. The gamble paid rewards and India won the tournament by beating England in the final, with MS Dhoni becoming the first captain to win all three ICC trophies. 

10. MS Dhoni retirement: IPL 2018

Chennai Super Kings were banned for two seasons from the IPL for their involvement in the spot-fixing scandal that rocked the league. When they returned in 2018, CSK chose to bank on experience in the auction, signing many international cricketers all above the age of 30. The two-time champions were written off when the tournament started but led by MS Dhoni, the team came back to the tournament fold in style, winning the title by beating SRH in the final. The IPL 2018 win was a statement of intent by CSK and they followed it up with another final appearance in 2019, only to fall short by one run to Mumbai Indians. 

(Image Courtesy: icc-cricket.com)