NEW DELHI: As the legendary MS Dhoni celebrated his 43rd birthday on Sunday, fans gathered in large numbers near his house in Ranchi to commemorate the occasion by cutting a cake.
The former India skipper, known as "Captain Cool," has left an indelible mark on the cricketing world with his remarkable achievements.
Dhoni's leadership skills were unparalleled, as he guided India to the pinnacle of success in all formats.
Under his captaincy, India held the top spot in the Test rankings for 18 months, starting from December 2009.
The team also clinched the 50-over World Cup in 2011 and the T20 World Cup in 2007, the latter being Dhoni's debut as a captain.
In his long format career, Dhoni played 90 matches, amassing 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09. He scored six centuries and 33 half-centuries, with a highest score of 224, making him the 14th-highest scorer for India in Tests.
As a captain, he led India in 60 Test matches, winning 27, losing 18, and drawing 15.
With a win percentage of 45.00, he is considered one of India's most successful skippers across all eras. Dhoni also led Team India to the number one ranking in the ICC Test Rankings and remains the only Indian skipper to whitewash Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, achieving this feat in the 2010-11 and 2012-13 series.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Dhoni has played 264 matches, primarily for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with a brief stint at Rising Pune Supergiant from 2016 to 2017. He has scored 5,243 runs in the tournament at an average of 39.13, including 24 half-centuries. Additionally, he has taken 152 catches and effected 42 stumpings.
Dhoni's exceptional statistics as a middle-order batter and his unrivaled success as a captain make him a once-in-a-generation phenomenon in the world of cricket. It is unlikely that India, or the cricketing world at large, will witness another "Captain Cool" anytime soon.
English (US) ·