MS Dhoni beyond titles and trophies: A look at captain cool's achievements as he turns 42

Captain Cool MS Dhoni turned 42 on Friday. The legend known for his leadership qualities, last-ball match-winning sixes and brisk wicket-keeping skills has won India all three major ICC white-ball trophies. Indian cricket’s talisman is one of the most successful captains in the history of cricket.

With an average of 50.57 in 350 ODIs, one-day cricket remains to be Captain Cool’s strongest format. He scored his career best of 183* against Sri Lanka, the highest ever by a wicketkeeper in an ODI game. He scored 10 centuries and 73 fifties and is India’s fifth-highest run scorer in ODIs.

Batting down the order through most of his career and still pulling off 10,000-plus runs only adds to the stature of India’s last World cup winning captain.


India’s most successful ODI captain has led India to 200 matches with a winning percentage of 55. Five matches were tied while 11 failed to produce a result. It was under MS Dhoni’s leadership that India ended the 28-year-long draught of a 50-over World Cup trophy, winning it in 2011.

With 229 sixes, he is the fifth-highest six-hitter of all time and also has the second-highest sixes by an Indian next to Rohit Sharma (275 sixes). He is also the sixth-fastest player to reach 10,000 ODI runs in 273 innings.

“Don’t look up, God is not coming to save you,” were the cricketer’s words when he led India to title victory against England in the 2013 Champions trophy. Indian cricket team hasn't won an ICC trophy since then.

His captaincy skills have been revered across the cricketing world since the time the then-long-haired cricketer guided India to its maiden T20 World Cup victory in 2007.

Many fans went for a long hairdo like him and every kid wanted that bat which was Dhoni's weapon. Even the former Pakistan president, Parvez Musharaf had praised Ms Dhoni’s long locks.

MS Dhoni has led India in 72 T20Is, winning 41, losing 28, one being tied and two failing to produce a result. His winning percentage is 56.94. He won India the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup title in 2007.


He played 98 T20Is for India scoring 1,617 runs at an average of 37.60, at a strike rate of 126.13. He has two half-centuries in the format, with the best score of 56.

Overall in all ICC tournaments combined, Dhoni has scored 1,492 runs in 62 innings at an average of 36.39. He has no centuries in ICC tournaments, but he has scored seven half-centuries.

“Mahi” for fans across the nation and “Thala” for his fans down south, the cricketer has won 5 IPL trophies, making his franchise Chennai Super Kings one of the most successful franchises in the leagues.

The chants of “Dhoni...Dhoni” have echoed in cricket grounds for more than a decade now and they don’t seem to fade away anytime soon. Fans await MS Dhoni’s arrival in the next edition of the IPL and he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of playing. “I have ample time to decide,” is what he said to a question about his retirement plans.