Not one to hog the limelight, Mahendra Singh Dhoni ended his India career in his trademark fashion, without much of fanfare.
All it took was an Instagram post on August 15, 2020, for the cricket legend to end his famed career, which saw several landmarks for Indian cricket -- including two World Cup titles, ICC Championship Trophy and the World No 1 ranking in Test cricket.
He is the first and the only captain so far to win all three ICC trophies.
Leaving behind a rich legacy that will be difficult to replicate, Dhoni holds the record for most international matches as captain (332).
Unarguably the quickest man behind the wicket, Dhoni has 195 international stumpings, the most by any wicket-keeper.
Rajneesh Gupta presents a detailed statistical analysis of Dhoni's India career:
International career (2004-2019)
ODI debut: v Bangladesh, Chittagong (now Chattogram), December 23, 2004
Test debut: v Sri Lanka, Chennai, December 2, 2005
T20I debut: v South Africa, Johannesburg, December 1, 2006
Last Test: v Australia, Melbourne, December 30, 2014
Last T20I: v Australia, Bengaluru, February 27, 2019
Last ODI: v New Zealand, Manchester, July 10, 2019
Dhoni's career record
| Matches | Runs | Hs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | Sixes | Caught/Stumpings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 90 | 4,876 | 224 | 38.09 | 59.11 | 6 | 78 | 256/38 |
| ODIs | 350 | 10,773 | 183* | 50.57 | 87.56 | 10 | 229 | 321/123 |
| T20Is | 98 | 1,617 | 56 | 37.60 | 126.13 | 0 | 52 | 57/34 |
| All Internationals | 538 | 17,266 | 224 | 44.96 | 79.07 | 16 | 359 | 634/195 |
Dhoni's batting record as captain
| Matches | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 60 | 3,454 | 224 | 40.63 | 57.82 | 5 | 24 |
| ODIs | 200 | 6,641 | 139* | 53.55 | 86.21 | 6 | 47 |
| T20Is | 72 | 1,112 | 48* | 37.06 | 122.60 | 0 | 0 |
| All internationals | 332 | 11,207 | 224 | 46.89 | 76.84 | 11 | 71 |
Dhoni's captaincy win/loss record
| Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | NR/Drawn | Win% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 60 | 27 | 18 | 0 | 15 | 45.00 |
| ODIs | 200 | 110 | 74 | 5 | 11 | 55.00 |
| T20Is | 72 | 42 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 58.33 |
| All intenationals | 332 | 179 | 120 | 5 | 28 | 53.91 |
Note: The captaincy record in T20Is includes one match won on the tie-breaker after it finished in a tie.
Dhoni's captaincy win/loss record in ICC events
| Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | Win% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI World Cups | 17 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 82.35 |
| T20 World Cups | 33 | 21 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 63.63 |
| Champions Trophy | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 75.00 |
| All ICC events | 58 | 41 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 70.68 |
Note: The captaincy record in T20Is includes one match won on the tie-breaker after it finished in a tie.
Dhoni's batting record in Tests
| Year | Mts | Runs | Avergage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 3 | 149 | 37.25 |
| 2006 | 12 | 557 | 29.31 |
| 2007 | 8 | 468 | 52 |
| 2008 | 12 | 633 | 35.16 |
| 2009 | 5 | 369 | 92.25 |
| 2010 | 13 | 749 | 41.61 |
| 2011 | 12 | 511 | 26.89 |
| 2012 | 8 | 447 | 40.63 |
| 2013 | 8 | 459 | 45.9 |
| 2014 | 9 | 534 | 33.37 |
Dhoni's batting record in ODIs
| Year | Mts | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 3 | 19 | 9.5 |
| 2005 | 27 | 895 | 49.72 |
| 2006 | 29 | 821 | 41.05 |
| 2007 | 37 | 1103 | 44.12 |
| 2008 | 29 | 1097 | 57.73 |
| 2009 | 29 | 1198 | 70.47 |
| 2010 | 18 | 600 | 46.15 |
| 2011 | 24 | 764 | 58.76 |
| 2012 | 16 | 524 | 65.5 |
| 2013 | 26 | 753 | 62.75 |
| 2014 | 12 | 418 | 52.25 |
| 2015 | 20 | 640 | 45.71 |
| 2016 | 13 | 278 | 27.8 |
| 2017 | 29 | 788 | 60.61 |
| 2018 | 20 | 275 | 25 |
| 2019 | 18 | 600 | 60 |
In successful run-chases in ODIs, Dhoni has a mind-boggling average of 102.71, which is the highest for any batsman with 1,000 runs or more in winning causes.
Dhoni's batting record in T20Is
| Year | Mts | Runs | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 8 | 163 | 32.6 |
| 2008 | 1 | 9 | 9 |
| 2009 | 10 | 184 | 23 |
| 2010 | 5 | 85 | 42.5 |
| 2011 | 3 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 2012 | 14 | 268 | 53.6 |
| 2013 | 1 | 24 | - |
| 2014 | 7 | 77 | 77 |
| 2015 | 2 | 25 | 25 |
| 2016 | 21 | 238 | 47.6 |
| 2017 | 13 | 252 | 42 |
| 2018 | 7 | 123 | 41 |
| 2019 | 5 | 130 | 43.33 |
Dhoni averages a Bradmanesque 102 in successful run chases in One-Day Internationals, with 2,876 runs in 75 games, bettering Virat Kohli, who is renowned for his batting in run chases, and Australia's legend Michael Bevan.
Highest batting averages in successful chases in ODIs
| Innings | Not Out | Runs | Hs | Average | Strike Rate | 100 | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M S Dhoni | 75 | 47 | 2,876 | 183* | 102.71 | 88.00 | 2 | 20 |
| Virat Kohli | 86 | 30 | 5,388 | 183 | 96.21 | 97.76 | 22 | 22 |
| Michael Bevan | 45 | 25 | 1,725 | 107 | 86.25 | 66.42 | 3 | 12 |
| A B de Villiers | 59 | 28 | 2,566 | 136* | 82.77 | 96.90 | 5 | 18 |
| Joe Root | 41 | 16 | 1,942 | 133* | 77.68 | 87.95 | 6 | 8 |
| Michael Clarke | 53 | 24 | 2,142 | 105* | 73.86 | 77.72 | 3 | 17 |
| Hansie Cronje/td> | 43 | 19 | 1,682 | 94 | 70.08 | 80.36 | 0 | 15 |
| Martin Crowe | 32 | 11 | 1,470 | 107* | 70.00 | 78.10 | 2 | 12 |
Dhoni's batting showed great improvement after he handed over the captaincy to Kohli.
Dhoni under Virat Kohli
| Matches | Innings | Not Out | Runs | Highest Score | Avg | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in ODIs | 57 | 44 | 17 | 1513 | 134 | 56.03 | 83.04 | 1 | 11 |
| in T20Is | 18 | 15 | 7 | 349 | 56 | 43.62 | 135.79 | 0 | 2 |
There were question marks over Dhoni's place in the team in the last year of his career with India as he struggled to get the big hits which he was known for earlier in his career and he also struggled to finish off matches.
Dhoni in the final year of his career (August 2018-July 2019)
| Mts | Inns | NO | Runs | Hs | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in ODIs | 29 | 23 | 6 | 727 | 87* | 42.76 | 80.42 | 0 | 6 |
| in T20Is | 5 | 5 | 2 | 130 | 40 | 43.33 | 116.07 | 0 | 0 |
Dhoni's Man of Match awards in Tests: 2
| Opposition | Venue | Year | Batting | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Mohali | 2008 | 92 & 68* | 2 | 1 |
| Australia | Chennai | 2013 | 224 | 0 | 1 |
Dhoni's Man of Match awards in One-Day Internationals: 21
| Opposition | Venue | Year | Batting | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | Visakhapatnam | 2005 | 148 | 2 | 0 |
| Sri Lanka | Jaipur | 2005 | 183* | 1 | 0 |
| Pakistan | Lahore | 2006 | 72* | 3 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | 2007 | 91* | 0 | 1 |
| Africa XI | Chennai | 2007 | 139* | 0 | 3 |
| Australia | Chandigarh | 2007 | 50* | 0 | 2 |
| Pakistan | Guwahati | 2007 | 63 | 0 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | Karachi | 2008 | 67 | 2 | 0 |
| Sri Lanka | Colombo (RPS) | 2008 | 76 | 2 | 0 |
| New Zealand | Napier | 2009 | 84* | 1 | 1 |
| West Indies | Gros Islet | 2009 | 46* | 2 | 1 |
| Australia | Nagpur | 2009 | 124 | 1 | 1 |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | 2010 | 101* | 0 | 0 |
| Sri Lanka | Mumbai | 2011 | 91* | 1 | 0 |
| England | Hyderabad | 2011 | 87* | 1 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | Adelaide | 2012 | 58* | 2 | 0 |
| Pakistan | Chennai | 2012 | 113* | 0 | 0 |
| Pakistan | Delhi | 2013 | 36 | 1 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | Port of Spain | 2013 | 45* | 1 | 3 |
| South Africa | Indore | 2015 | 92* | 3 | 1 |
| West Indies | North Sound | 2017 | 78* | 0 | 1 |
Twenty20 Internationals:0
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Tests:
- First wicket-keeper to lead India in Test cricket.
- Only the eighth Indian captain to start his captaincy stint with a win (against South Africa at Kanpur in April 2008).
- Only the second Indian captain (after Sourav Ganguly) to win his first Test both at home and abroad. He led India for the first time in an overseas Test against New Zealand at Hamilton in March 2009, which the visitors won by 10 wickets.
- Holds the Indian record of most wicket-keeping dismissals in Tests -- 294.
- The only Indian wicketkeeper to score 4,000 runs and effect 200 dismissals.
- Has played more Tests than any other player (60) performing the dual duty of captaining the side as well as donning the wicket-keeping gloves.
- Under his captaincy, India became the first team in Test history to make successful fourth innings chase in three consecutive Tests.
- He is the first Indian captain to win a Test match on New Zealand soil in 33 years when he led India to 10-wicket win at Hamilton in March 2009. Before him, Sunil Gavaskar had won a Test at New Zealand soil way back in January 1976.
- Under Dhoni's captaincy, India scored 387/4 in the fourth innings of the Chennai Test to beat England -- their second highest successful fourth innings chase in Test cricket.
- Led India to number one position in ICC rankings in Test cricket for the first time -- in December 2009.
One-Day Internationals:
- Only the third wicket-keeper to lead India in a one-day international after Syed Kirmani (one match) and Rahul Dravid (5 matches).
- His innings of 183 not out, against Sri Lanka at Jaipur in October 2005, is the HIGHEST ever by a wicket-keeper in ODIs.
- Holds the record of scoring the fastest hundred by an Indian wicket-keeper in ODIs (off 85 balls against Sri Lanka at Jaipur in October 2005).
- Holds the record of scoring maximum hundreds by an Indian wicket-keeper with nine hundreds (including one hundred scored for Asia XI).
- His career average of 50.57 is the second highest by an Indian after Virat Kohli's 59.33 (minimum qualification: 500 career runs).
- Led India to 9 consecutive wins between November 2008 and February 2009 -- an Indian record.
- Captained India to 2011 World Cup win.
- First Asian and only the third captain to win 100 ODIs (after Allan Border and Ricky Ponting).
- Finished a successful chase in ODIs with a six on as many as nine occasions -- most by any batsman.
- First Indian to hit 200 sixes in ODIs.
- Most runs in ODIs when batting at No 6 or lower (5,155.)
- Out of the 51 instances when Dhoni emained not out in a chase in an ODI, India woṇ 50 and lost only one.
- The 47 not outs by Dhoni are the most by any player in successful chases in ODIs.
- Holds the record of most dismissals by an Indian wicket-keeper in an ODI (6) and in a ODI career (444)./li>
- No one has made more stumpings than Dhoni in ODIs (123) and in all international cricket (195).
Twenty20 Internationals:
- First captain to win the ICC Twenty20 World Cup, in South Africa in 2007.
- First player to captain in 50 Twenty20 Internationals.
- Most matches as captain in T20Is (72)
- After getting a duck in his debut innings, Dhoni played 84 consecutive innings without ever getting out for a duck again -- the longest such streak in this format.
International cricket:
- Most runs in international cricket when batting at No 6 or lower (10,628)
- Most (142) unbeaten knocks in international cricket (Tests + ODIs + T20Is)
- Captained India in 332 matches across all formats (Tests, ODIs & T20Is) -- the most by any player in cricket history. Ricky Ponting is second with 324 matches.
- Holds the record of most wicket-keeping dismissals by an Indian in all three formats -- Tests (294), ODIs (444) and T20Is (91).
Miscellaneous:
Only captain to win all three ICC trophies -- ODI World Cup, Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup.
