MS Dhoni International Cricket GOAT – father, military man, farmer, and arguably the greatest cricketer to have ever lived. The legacy of this man can be observed in several forms.

As a player, he is among the highest run scorers for India in international cricket, as well as among the top wicketkeepers with the most dismissals of all time. And as a captain, he has won everything there is to win. He got his hands on several ICC trophies and won matches that India had failed in several years. MS Dhoni is one of the GOATs of Indian cricket.

Today, we will look at the international career of MS Dhoni. The story of how he got into cricket and his struggles regarding that have been covered in the excellent 2016 feature film made on his life.

MS Dhoni: The Journey Begins

In his first-ever international match, 23-year-old Dhoni was dismissed for a duck via run-out. Despite not making a mark in his debut series, the long-haired wicketkeeper was picked for the subsequent series against Pakistan. In the second match of that series, Dhoni scored his first century in international cricket when he scored a famous 148 in Vishakhapatnam. From that point on, he was a regular in the ODI format.

His next famous innings came on October 31, 2005. In Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Dhoni played arguably his most famous innings. A blistering 183* against Sri Lanka is still his highest score in limited-overs cricket.

In December 2005, about a year after his ODI debut, the Jharkhand-based icon made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Chennai.

At this time, backstage turmoil within the team saw India lose a few crucial series and tournaments across the next year or so, culminating in an embarrassing group stage exit in the 2007 ODI World Cup. For all this time, Dhoni has been impressing all the important people with his consistency with the bat and skill behind the stumps.

Captaincy Beckons

So, when most senior players raised their hands at the notion of playing in the first-ever T20 World Cup (called the World T20 back then) in 2007, it was Dhoni among a pool of “experienced” players who were picked as captain. 

The next chapter in MS Dhoni’s legend is stamped in gold. A new and young captain, with his iconic long hair, won the 2007 World T20, defeating Pakistan in that iconic final.

2008 was a momentous year for MS Dhoni. Not only did he captain India to an iconic win in the Commonwealth Bank series against India and Australia, but he was also bought by and made captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise in the newly revealed Indian Premier League (IPL). He was also the most expensive player in the first-ever IPL auction, bought for an unheard sum in cricket (at that time) of $1.5 million.

In 2009/10, India went on an incredible run of Test results, winning 7, drawing 5, and losing just a single match to become the first nation besides Australia to win the World Test Championship and be given the iconic Test mace.  

Speaking of feathers and caps, Dhoni became the first captain to win two IPL trophies when he hit a two-peat in 2010 and 2011, making the Super Kings the IPL giants they are today. 

While he did win an IPL in 2011, something else he won that year outshines almost everything, not only in Dhonis’s career but in everyone’s who was a part of it. 

The 2011 ODI World, to be played in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, saw India make it past the group stage, defeat the defending three-time winners Australia in the quarter-final, ram past arch-rivals Pakistan in the semi-final, and defeat Sri Lanka in the final to lift the trophy after 28 long years.

The night of the final in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium was extra special for Dhoni. Not only did he become the eighth captain to win the World Cup and the first to win it on their home soil, but he was also named Player of the Match for his brilliant 91* while chasing a tricky 275. This is the most iconic inning in Mahi’s career. This also established MS Dhoni as one of the GOATs of Indian cricket. 

In 2013, he led India to a Champions Trophy win in England in a close final against the hosts. Earlier that year, MS reached his biggest score in international cricket, when he made a fighting 244 against Australia in a Test match. 

In late 2014, following the Boxing Day Test vs Australia, Dhon announced his retirement from Test cricket, handing the captaincy in the format to Virat Kohli. 

After the win in the 2013 Champions Trophy, the drought of ICC trophies in Indian cricket began. The side first lost in the final of the 2014 T20 World Cup. The 2015 ODI, 2016 T20, and 2017 Champions Trophy saw India lose in the knockout stages. 

The Final Chapter 

Then came the final chapter in the long book that is MS Dhoni’s international cricket career, the 2019 ODI World Cup. By this time, Thala had given up the limited-overs captaincy to Virat Kohli. 

India cruised in the group stage, finishing on top in the 10-team round-robin. The Men in Blue then comfortably defeated West Indies in the quarterfinals and were to face New Zealand in the semis. 

Despite restricting the Kiwis to 239/8 in 50 overs, India was reeling after their two in-form superstars, Kohli and Rohit Sharma, were dismissed for 1. India was 71/5 when Dhoni walked in, and soon after lost Hardik Pandya. When Jaddu lost his wicket at 208, India needed 32 runs in 13 balls. But just a few balls later, he was run out, India lost the match by 18 runs, and Dhoni walked off the field with tears in his eyes. 

Not many people knew it back then, but MS Dhoni would never don the Indian jersey again. On August 15, 2020, over a year after that semi-final loss, Dhoni took to social media and announced his retirement in the caption of a video of his career highlights. 

Retirement?

That is not to say that Dhoni has hung up his cricketing boots. For the past four years, he has come out of his life of family time, farming, and motor vehicles, to captain CSK to prolonged success in the IPL.  

In 2023, CSK won their fifth IPL trophy, making them the joint most successful franchise in league history alongside arch-rivals Mumbai Indians. As an IPL captain, Dhoni has won five IPLs, finished runner-up on six occasions, and made it to the playoffs a further two times. 

The incredible career of MS Dhoni is certainly in its twilight hour. Not only will MS Dhoni leave an incredible legacy as a player and a captain in world cricket, but he will also be remembered as a fantastic personality who took Indian cricket to new heights. Certainly one of the GOATs of Indian cricket.

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