Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the only captain to have won all ICC events. Other than being an aggressive batsman, who is known for taking calculated risks, his captaincy has made him into the cricketing legend. Well, there is no doubting the fact that the captain in cricket needs to have a quick presence of mind in order to keep helping his side win.

Having led the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/hanuma-vihari-picks-sachin-tendulkar-as-his-favourite-among-fab-four-of-indian-cricket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indian </a>team and Chennai Super Kings to so many glories over the years, there is no doubt that the man has a brain designed for taking correct cricketing decisions. As we have watched him since 2005, even we have started to believe that the Jharkhand superstar can pull off any cricketing miracle.

Without further to do, let us check 5 Instances when MS Dhoni proved he has &#8216;the smartest cricketing brain&#8217;:

1. Have players practise bowl out before the match

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-415388" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-bowl-out.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni bowl out" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-415388" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni bowl out. (Photo Source: YouTube)</figcaption>

This incident is related to what goes behind the scenes. In the 2007 ICC Men&#8217;s T20 World Cup, India was up against Pakistan in their final group match. India needed a win or a tie to qualify for the next round. Having set Pakistan a target of 142, the Indian bowlers executed their plans right. The arch-rivals could only manage to tie that match. This was followed by a bowl-out.

Pakistan went with Umar Gul, Yasir Arafat and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shahid-afridi-was-a-much-better-test-cricketer-shoaib-akhtar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shahid Afridi</a> for their first three shot at the stumps. However, unlike Pakistan, Indian captain MS Dhoni decided to go with his part-time bowlers, Virender Sehwag and Robin Uthappa, along with Harbhajan Singh, the leader of the spin bowling department.

The move worked brilliantly as India went on to win the bowl-out 3-0. Pakistan team missed every shot while Indians hit each one of them. The reason behind India&#8217;s success was something to do with Dhoni&#8217;s tactics. The new skipper had asked his teammates to practise the bowl out in the nets before the match, as he knew it was in the rules. Dhoni also decided not to go with his premier bowlers as he thought that the ball might swing a little bit and not hit the stumps.

2. Scolding Khaleel in the middle of the pitch

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-415387" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhonia-and-Khallel-Ahmed.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni and Khallel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-415387" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni and Khallel Ahmed. (Photo Source: YouTube)</figcaption>

This incident took place an ODI last year in Adelaide. India was chasing a big total against Australia. With the series on the line, the pressure was right on the visiting team. MS Dhoni, the ice-cool man was at the crease with Dinesh Karthik. With a few overs to go, the two batsmen asked for drinks.

Khaleel Ahmed and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/yuzvendra-chahal-hilariously-asks-icc-to-add-a-new-rule-for-batsmen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yuzvendra Chahal</a>, who was not playing in that match went in the middle to give the drinks to Dhoni and Karthik. During this, Khaleel by mistake walked on the pitch. A moment later, everyone saw the former captain just give Khaleel an earful.

The reason was quite simple. India was chasing a big total and batting was already difficult on that pitch. As Khaleel walked on the pitch with his spikes on, the pitch could have more roughs on it. This would have eventually made batting even tougher. Khaleel might have also dropped a few drops of water while he was serving drinks to the two players. Dhoni said a few words with anger to Khaleel. The moment didn&#8217;t affect Dhoni&#8217;s performance though, as he guided India to a win in that match.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-415386" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-13.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-415386" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

This is something which MS Dhoni does from time to time. Everyone knows that his wicket-keepers are world-class. However, there have been many instances where we have noticed that his presence of mind makes him a better keeper at times.

The incident which we are specifically recalling happened during the 2016 ICC Men&#8217;s T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh. India was stuck in a situation where the opposition needed just two runs to win from the final ball. Before <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/mereko-bohot-mehengi-padi-wo-coffee-hardik-pandya-opens-up-about-his-koffee-with-karan-controversy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hardik Pandya</a> started running in to bowl the final ball, MS Dhoni decided to drop the glove from his right hand. This would make it easier for him to grab the ball quickly.

The plan worked in his favour, the batsman couldn&#8217;t hit the ball but still decided to take run off the byes. The then Indian skipper collected the ball and decided to sprint to the stumps instead of throwing it. Another smart thing which the skipper did here was not throwing the ball to the stumps, as he could have missed it. He ran quickly and dislodged the stumps with the ball in his hand. The batsman was adjudged run out and India won the match by just one run.

4. Taking the ball from the umpire after the match

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-268049" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-match-ball.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-268049" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni taking the ball from umpires. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

A lot of cricket is played over the strategies. MS Dhoni&#8217;s planning and skilful mind has proven many times how strategies can be helpful in achieving a particular goal. The incident which we are referring to is from an ODI in Headingley in Leeds in 2018. After the match between India and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ecb-announces-there-wont-be-any-professional-cricket-in-england-until-july-1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">England </a>ended, Dhoni went to the umpires and asked them for the ball which was used during the match.

Later while speaking with the media, the former Indian captain explained why he did that. According to him, the balls which were used in the match could be used by pacers to practise reverse swing. As the match balls were already used for a significant period during the match, practising with those balls could mimic the situation which is there during the final stages of an innings.

While explaining the reason further, Dhoni said, &#8220;I requested the umpire for the ball and gave it to our bowling coach and said we need to work on it so that we can get a bit of reverse swing going. That will help the fast bowlers get those yorkers or wickets towards close or after the 40-over mark. That will help us restrict the opposition in the last 10 overs.&#8221;

5. Putting a fielder right behind the umpire

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-412786" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-3-1.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-412786" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: SESHADRI SUKUMAR/AFP/GettyImages)</figcaption>

In cricket, there are specific fielding positions and captain generally don&#8217;t think out of the box. Majority of the captains would be happy to place a fielder at a more conventional position. However, the man from Ranchi came up with a different plan for a particular batsman.

During the IPL 2010 Final, Kieron Pollard was in top form and holding <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-the-first-ever-happenings-of-mumbai-indians-in-the-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mumbai Indians</a>&#8216; innings together. MS Dhoni, the captain of Chennai Super Kings hatched a plan to stop Pollard from scoring freely. The West Indian all-rounder was constantly trying to target the straight boundary and getting excellent results. Dhoni placed a fielder right behind the umpire and this made Pollard change his plan.

In an attempt to hit the ball in some other direction, the Mumbai Indians&#8217; batsman ended up hitting the ball straight to a fielder. Pollard got out and Chennai sailed to their maiden IPL title win.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the only captain to have won all ICC events. Other than being an aggressive batsman, who is known for taking calculated risks, his captaincy has made him into the cricketing legend. Well, there is no doubting the fact that the captain in cricket needs to have a quick presence of mind in order to keep helping his side win.
Having led the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/hanuma-vihari-picks-sachin-tendulkar-as-his-favourite-among-fab-four-of-indian-cricket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indian </a>team and Chennai Super Kings to so many glories over the years, there is no doubt that the man has a brain designed for taking correct cricketing decisions. As we have watched him since 2005, even we have started to believe that the Jharkhand superstar can pull off any cricketing miracle.
Without further to do, let us check 5 Instances when MS Dhoni proved he has ‘the smartest cricketing brain’:
<h3>1. Have players practise bowl out before the match</h3>
<figure id="attachment_415388" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-415388" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-415388" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-bowl-out.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni bowl out" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-415388" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni bowl out. (Photo Source: YouTube)</figcaption></figure>
This incident is related to what goes behind the scenes. In the 2007 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, India was up against Pakistan in their final group match. India needed a win or a tie to qualify for the next round. Having set Pakistan a target of 142, the Indian bowlers executed their plans right. The arch-rivals could only manage to tie that match. This was followed by a bowl-out.
Pakistan went with Umar Gul, Yasir Arafat and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shahid-afridi-was-a-much-better-test-cricketer-shoaib-akhtar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shahid Afridi</a> for their first three shot at the stumps. However, unlike Pakistan, Indian captain MS Dhoni decided to go with his part-time bowlers, Virender Sehwag and Robin Uthappa, along with Harbhajan Singh, the leader of the spin bowling department.
The move worked brilliantly as India went on to win the bowl-out 3-0. Pakistan team missed every shot while Indians hit each one of them. The reason behind India’s success was something to do with Dhoni’s tactics. The new skipper had asked his teammates to practise the bowl out in the nets before the match, as he knew it was in the rules. Dhoni also decided not to go with his premier bowlers as he thought that the ball might swing a little bit and not hit the stumps.

<h3>2. Scolding Khaleel in the middle of the pitch</h3>
<figure id="attachment_415387" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-415387" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-415387" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhonia-and-Khallel-Ahmed.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni and Khallel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-415387" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni and Khallel Ahmed. (Photo Source: YouTube)</figcaption></figure>
This incident took place an ODI last year in Adelaide. India was chasing a big total against Australia. With the series on the line, the pressure was right on the visiting team. MS Dhoni, the ice-cool man was at the crease with Dinesh Karthik. With a few overs to go, the two batsmen asked for drinks.
Khaleel Ahmed and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/yuzvendra-chahal-hilariously-asks-icc-to-add-a-new-rule-for-batsmen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yuzvendra Chahal</a>, who was not playing in that match went in the middle to give the drinks to Dhoni and Karthik. During this, Khaleel by mistake walked on the pitch. A moment later, everyone saw the former captain just give Khaleel an earful.
The reason was quite simple. India was chasing a big total and batting was already difficult on that pitch. As Khaleel walked on the pitch with his spikes on, the pitch could have more roughs on it. This would have eventually made batting even tougher. Khaleel might have also dropped a few drops of water while he was serving drinks to the two players. Dhoni said a few words with anger to Khaleel. The moment didn’t affect Dhoni’s performance though, as he guided India to a win in that match.

<h3>3. Removing one glove in crucial moments</h3>
<figure id="attachment_415386" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-415386" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-415386" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-13.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-415386" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This is something which MS Dhoni does from time to time. Everyone knows that his wicket-keepers are world-class. However, there have been many instances where we have noticed that his presence of mind makes him a better keeper at times.
The incident which we are specifically recalling happened during the 2016 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh. India was stuck in a situation where the opposition needed just two runs to win from the final ball. Before <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/mereko-bohot-mehengi-padi-wo-coffee-hardik-pandya-opens-up-about-his-koffee-with-karan-controversy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hardik Pandya</a> started running in to bowl the final ball, MS Dhoni decided to drop the glove from his right hand. This would make it easier for him to grab the ball quickly.
The plan worked in his favour, the batsman couldn’t hit the ball but still decided to take run off the byes. The then Indian skipper collected the ball and decided to sprint to the stumps instead of throwing it. Another smart thing which the skipper did here was not throwing the ball to the stumps, as he could have missed it. He ran quickly and dislodged the stumps with the ball in his hand. The batsman was adjudged run out and India won the match by just one run.

<h3>4. Taking the ball from the umpire after the match</h3>
<figure id="attachment_268049" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-268049" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-268049" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-match-ball.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-268049" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni taking the ball from umpires. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
A lot of cricket is played over the strategies. MS Dhoni’s planning and skilful mind has proven many times how strategies can be helpful in achieving a particular goal. The incident which we are referring to is from an ODI in Headingley in Leeds in 2018. After the match between India and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ecb-announces-there-wont-be-any-professional-cricket-in-england-until-july-1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">England </a>ended, Dhoni went to the umpires and asked them for the ball which was used during the match.
Later while speaking with the media, the former Indian captain explained why he did that. According to him, the balls which were used in the match could be used by pacers to practise reverse swing. As the match balls were already used for a significant period during the match, practising with those balls could mimic the situation which is there during the final stages of an innings.
While explaining the reason further, Dhoni said, “I requested the umpire for the ball and gave it to our bowling coach and said we need to work on it so that we can get a bit of reverse swing going. That will help the fast bowlers get those yorkers or wickets towards close or after the 40-over mark. That will help us restrict the opposition in the last 10 overs.”

<h3>5. Putting a fielder right behind the umpire</h3>
<figure id="attachment_412786" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-412786" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-412786" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-3-1.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-412786" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: SESHADRI SUKUMAR/AFP/GettyImages)</figcaption></figure>
In cricket, there are specific fielding positions and captain generally don’t think out of the box. Majority of the captains would be happy to place a fielder at a more conventional position. However, the man from Ranchi came up with a different plan for a particular batsman.
During the IPL 2010 Final, Kieron Pollard was in top form and holding <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-the-first-ever-happenings-of-mumbai-indians-in-the-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mumbai Indians</a>‘ innings together. MS Dhoni, the captain of Chennai Super Kings hatched a plan to stop Pollard from scoring freely. The West Indian all-rounder was constantly trying to target the straight boundary and getting excellent results. Dhoni placed a fielder right behind the umpire and this made Pollard change his plan.
In an attempt to hit the ball in some other direction, the Mumbai Indians’ batsman ended up hitting the ball straight to a fielder. Pollard got out and Chennai sailed to their maiden IPL title win.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the only captain to have won all ICC events. Other than being an aggressive batsman, who is known for taking calculated risks, his captaincy has made him into the cricketing legend. Well, there is no doubting the fact that the captain in cricket needs to have a quick presence of mind in order to keep helping his side win.
Having led the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/hanuma-vihari-picks-sachin-tendulkar-as-his-favourite-among-fab-four-of-indian-cricket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indian </a>team and Chennai Super Kings to so many glories over the years, there is no doubt that the man has a brain designed for taking correct cricketing decisions. As we have watched him since 2005, even we have started to believe that the Jharkhand superstar can pull off any cricketing miracle.
Without further to do, let us check 5 Instances when MS Dhoni proved he has &#8216;the smartest cricketing brain&#8217;:
<h3>1. Have players practise bowl out before the match</h3>
<figure id="attachment_415388" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-415388" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-415388" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-bowl-out.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni bowl out" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-415388" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni bowl out. (Photo Source: YouTube)</figcaption></figure>
This incident is related to what goes behind the scenes. In the 2007 ICC Men&#8217;s T20 World Cup, India was up against Pakistan in their final group match. India needed a win or a tie to qualify for the next round. Having set Pakistan a target of 142, the Indian bowlers executed their plans right. The arch-rivals could only manage to tie that match. This was followed by a bowl-out.
Pakistan went with Umar Gul, Yasir Arafat and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shahid-afridi-was-a-much-better-test-cricketer-shoaib-akhtar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shahid Afridi</a> for their first three shot at the stumps. However, unlike Pakistan, Indian captain MS Dhoni decided to go with his part-time bowlers, Virender Sehwag and Robin Uthappa, along with Harbhajan Singh, the leader of the spin bowling department.
The move worked brilliantly as India went on to win the bowl-out 3-0. Pakistan team missed every shot while Indians hit each one of them. The reason behind India&#8217;s success was something to do with Dhoni&#8217;s tactics. The new skipper had asked his teammates to practise the bowl out in the nets before the match, as he knew it was in the rules. Dhoni also decided not to go with his premier bowlers as he thought that the ball might swing a little bit and not hit the stumps.

<h3>2. Scolding Khaleel in the middle of the pitch</h3>
<figure id="attachment_415387" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-415387" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-415387" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhonia-and-Khallel-Ahmed.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni and Khallel Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-415387" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni and Khallel Ahmed. (Photo Source: YouTube)</figcaption></figure>
This incident took place an ODI last year in Adelaide. India was chasing a big total against Australia. With the series on the line, the pressure was right on the visiting team. MS Dhoni, the ice-cool man was at the crease with Dinesh Karthik. With a few overs to go, the two batsmen asked for drinks.
Khaleel Ahmed and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/yuzvendra-chahal-hilariously-asks-icc-to-add-a-new-rule-for-batsmen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yuzvendra Chahal</a>, who was not playing in that match went in the middle to give the drinks to Dhoni and Karthik. During this, Khaleel by mistake walked on the pitch. A moment later, everyone saw the former captain just give Khaleel an earful.
The reason was quite simple. India was chasing a big total and batting was already difficult on that pitch. As Khaleel walked on the pitch with his spikes on, the pitch could have more roughs on it. This would have eventually made batting even tougher. Khaleel might have also dropped a few drops of water while he was serving drinks to the two players. Dhoni said a few words with anger to Khaleel. The moment didn&#8217;t affect Dhoni&#8217;s performance though, as he guided India to a win in that match.

<h3>3. Removing one glove in crucial moments</h3>
<figure id="attachment_415386" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-415386" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-415386" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-13.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-415386" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This is something which MS Dhoni does from time to time. Everyone knows that his wicket-keepers are world-class. However, there have been many instances where we have noticed that his presence of mind makes him a better keeper at times.
The incident which we are specifically recalling happened during the 2016 ICC Men&#8217;s T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh. India was stuck in a situation where the opposition needed just two runs to win from the final ball. Before <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/mereko-bohot-mehengi-padi-wo-coffee-hardik-pandya-opens-up-about-his-koffee-with-karan-controversy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hardik Pandya</a> started running in to bowl the final ball, MS Dhoni decided to drop the glove from his right hand. This would make it easier for him to grab the ball quickly.
The plan worked in his favour, the batsman couldn&#8217;t hit the ball but still decided to take run off the byes. The then Indian skipper collected the ball and decided to sprint to the stumps instead of throwing it. Another smart thing which the skipper did here was not throwing the ball to the stumps, as he could have missed it. He ran quickly and dislodged the stumps with the ball in his hand. The batsman was adjudged run out and India won the match by just one run.

<h3>4. Taking the ball from the umpire after the match</h3>
<figure id="attachment_268049" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-268049" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-268049" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-match-ball.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-268049" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni taking the ball from umpires. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
A lot of cricket is played over the strategies. MS Dhoni&#8217;s planning and skilful mind has proven many times how strategies can be helpful in achieving a particular goal. The incident which we are referring to is from an ODI in Headingley in Leeds in 2018. After the match between India and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ecb-announces-there-wont-be-any-professional-cricket-in-england-until-july-1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">England </a>ended, Dhoni went to the umpires and asked them for the ball which was used during the match.
Later while speaking with the media, the former Indian captain explained why he did that. According to him, the balls which were used in the match could be used by pacers to practise reverse swing. As the match balls were already used for a significant period during the match, practising with those balls could mimic the situation which is there during the final stages of an innings.
While explaining the reason further, Dhoni said, &#8220;I requested the umpire for the ball and gave it to our bowling coach and said we need to work on it so that we can get a bit of reverse swing going. That will help the fast bowlers get those yorkers or wickets towards close or after the 40-over mark. That will help us restrict the opposition in the last 10 overs.&#8221;

<h3>5. Putting a fielder right behind the umpire</h3>
<figure id="attachment_412786" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-412786" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-412786" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-3-1.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-412786" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: SESHADRI SUKUMAR/AFP/GettyImages)</figcaption></figure>
In cricket, there are specific fielding positions and captain generally don&#8217;t think out of the box. Majority of the captains would be happy to place a fielder at a more conventional position. However, the man from Ranchi came up with a different plan for a particular batsman.
During the IPL 2010 Final, Kieron Pollard was in top form and holding <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-the-first-ever-happenings-of-mumbai-indians-in-the-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mumbai Indians</a>&#8216; innings together. MS Dhoni, the captain of Chennai Super Kings hatched a plan to stop Pollard from scoring freely. The West Indian all-rounder was constantly trying to target the straight boundary and getting excellent results. Dhoni placed a fielder right behind the umpire and this made Pollard change his plan.
In an attempt to hit the ball in some other direction, the Mumbai Indians&#8217; batsman ended up hitting the ball straight to a fielder. Pollard got out and Chennai sailed to their maiden IPL title win.

Having led the Indian team and Chennai Super Kings to so many glories over the years, there is no doubt that the man has a brain designed for taking correct cricketing decisions.

5 Instances when MS Dhoni proved he has 'the smartest cricketing brain'

Having led the Indian team and Chennai Super Kings to so many glories over the years, there is no doubt MS Dhoni has brain designed for taking correct cricketing decisions.