15-year journey: Some of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's unforgettable moments on field

NEW DELHI: One of the greatest to have ever played the game, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has announced his retirement from international cricket. With the former India skipper hanging up his boots aged 39, a glorious chapter in Indian cricket has ended. In a career spanning 15 years, Dhoni achieved some extraordinary feats as a leader and a player. Here’s a recap of a few unforgettable moments cricket fans from across the world witnessed with Dhoni in the spotlight.

2007 ICC World Twenty20
Battered and bruised after a heartbreaking ouster in the 50-over World Cup, the reigns of Team India for the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 were given to MS Dhoni. With a young side and playing in a relatively new format, Dhoni with his leadership skills marshalled his troops tremendously well as India clinched the first ever T20 World Cup title.The victory was even sweeter for Indian fans as the Dhoni-led side defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in a nerve-wracking final. Defending a moderate 158, Dhoni and his men bundled out Pakistan for 152 in the final over. Dhoni's decision to go with Joginder Sharma in the final over against an in form Misbah-ul-Haq is still considered to be one of the biggest masterstrokes in world cricket.

(Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

2011 World Cup
With the quadrennial event being played in the sub-continent, expectations were very high from the fans, which also brought tremendous pressure for the team, in what was Sachin Tendulkar's last World Cup appearance. But 'captain cool' Dhoni made sure the team stayed focused on the job at hand, guiding India to a famous home World Cup win that ended India's 28 year wait for the ODI World Cup title. With just one defeat and a tie in the group stage, India's journey in the 2011 World Cup was a dream run. In the midst of all this was Dhoni, who by now had proved his mettle as one of the greatest readers of the game.

(Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)

2011 World Cup final

Carrying a reputation of a power hitter, Dhoni was having an ordinary World Cup with the bat in 2011. But the wicket-keeper batsman had saved his best for last. In the final against Sri Lanka, Dhoni promoted himself up the order, ahead of the in-form Yuvraj Singh. An unbeaten 91 off 79 balls that also featured the incredible winning six made Dhoni just the second Indian captain after Kapil Dev to win the ODI World Cup. It also further boosted his image of being the best finisher in the game. The morning after the famous win, images of Dhoni going bald and holding the World Cup trophy at the Gateway of India broke the internet.

(Photo by Graham Crouch/Getty Images)

2013 ICC Champions Trophy
With two ICC trophies (T20 and 50-over World Cup) already in his kitty, Dhoni added a third ICC limited overs title -- the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy to his trophy cabinet to become the only captain to win all three ICC limited overs titles. Maintaining a clean slate in the group stage, India defeated South Africa, West Indies and Pakistan to emerge at the top. Defeating Sri Lanka in the semis and then getting the better of England in their own backyard in the final, Dhoni once again marshalled his troops brilliantly as the win cemented his name as one of the greatest captains in the limited-overs format.

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Dhoni's brilliant glovework in 2016 World T20
One of the fittest cricketers in the world, Dhoni steadily improved his glovework to eventually become the best keeper in world cricket. Dhoni as a leader had always said that he wanted his team to be one of the best fielding sides in the game and he led by example. Numerous diving catches behind the stumps, sharp reflexes while stumping, Dhoni, thanks to his natural athleticism and fitness became a brilliant keeper. One incident that showed just how good he really was happened during the 2016 World T20. Dhoni ran out Mustafizur Rahman to eliminate Bangladesh from the competition. With Bangladesh needing 2 runs off the final ball, Dhoni outran non-striker Mustafizur to take off the bails at the batsman's end and hand India a famous 1-run win.

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