Top 5 moments of MS Dhoni’s career

“from 1929 consider me as Retired”. That’s how the dearest, the best, the one, and only MS Dhoni brought his scintillating international career to an end. Describing Dhoni, the phenomena, in words is an impossible task. He was too many things: a leader, a finisher, a captain, a wicket-keeper, but above all, he was an emotion. He was the man on whom rested the hopes of billions of people. On the field, he was a one-man army.

Dhoni was not the greatest cricketer to have played for India. He is not the highest scorer; doesn’t own most centuries or half-centuries or such coveted records inked in his name. But what he owns, no one else does. ICC T20 World Cup 2007, ICC World Cup 2011, and ICC Champions Trophy 2013. The only captain to have all three in his cabinet.

In a career that lasted 15 years, Dhoni climbed insurmountable towers, scaled unmatchable heights, and made a plethora of moments that will be dear to not just him, but to each one of his supporters. To pick and choose just 5 out of a long list of feats the great man scripted is a herculean task.

Nevertheless, here are the 5 most iconic moments of his glorious career-

1. 183* versus Sri Lanka, 2005

“Those were the days!” You’d want to say. That was when MS was a lesser-known rookie trying to cement his name inside the team. Look, reminisce, and gasp on where he ended up being. Back in the time, Dhoni was a muscular, robust Ranchi-lad with silky long-hair lying loose on the sides of his face.

In the match, a spangling wicket-keeper batsman from the neighbourhood had quite an outing too. Kumar Sangakkara had slap-dashed an unbeaten 138, only to be avenged to the extent of being by MSD. Chasing 299, India lost Sachin early, and fatefully, Dhoni was promoted up the order.

Dhoni sizzled and slaughtered. He marinated the bowlers with pain as he deep-fried others in a cauldron of heart-rending blows. Anything short was disappearing; good-length was creamed out on both sides of the ground, bowling fullish seemed foolish for the helicopter would have taken off in a flash. The hapless Sri Lankan attack did what it could have done: bowled and be thrashed by the butcher who was on song.

Dhoni’s atrocious counter-attack mummed the opponent as the crowd in Jaipur went in a frenzied spell. MS bludgeoned 10 sixes and 15 boundaries to reach 183* off 145 and emblazoned himself as the finisher that he was meant to be. India ended victorious with 23 balls to spare and Dhoni played an innings for centuries to remember.

2. T20 World Cup 2007

“2007 is the worst year for Indian cricket”. I am putting it much politely than what was being said for the heroes of our nation back in the time. The same heroes who are endlessly praised and deified by the fans had turned evils; detestable pieces of flesh. Their effigies were burnt and kicked; hoardings discoloured and blackened, and houses pelted by stones.

India suffered a ghastly exit in the league stage of the ICC World Cup of 2007 as Bangladesh handed them an embarrassing defeat. To exit from a World Cup is no crime, but for those whose expectations were crushed to death, it was the biggest sin cricketers could have committed.

In an environment brimming with gloom, in a moment encapsulated in melancholy, a saviour appeared out of the smoke of the burning posters. MS was given the task to lead India in a nascent format of T20 cricket. A format India and the world was still coming to terms with. The twist in the tale was that it was another World Cup when the woeful horrors of the previous scathe were not yet healed.

What did MS Dhoni do in the tournament which was scripted in the most iconic fashion? A high-octane final against arch-rivals Pakistan… In 2007’s moment of WTH, Dhoni threw the ball to Joginder Sharma over the more experienced Harbhajan Singh. This heck of a gambler, this damn magician, who had once trapped the opponent team in a bowl-out by giving the ball to Uthappas and Sehwags, clinched glory again. This time by a certain Joginder Sharma.

3. ICC World Cup 2011

The haunts of 2007 were long gone. This time it was the World Cup and it was in Asia. The sun was setting upon the most venerated man of India, the only man who’s probably loved equally, if not more than Dhoni, in India. The man who had spent 22 years with one dream, just one, the dream of “I want to win the World Cup”. The man- Sachin Tendulkar- who was an inspiration to not a few, but MS too.

This was his last chance. Now or goddamn never. India did everything right, won nearly won every match it played, defeated arch-rivals Pakistan (again) in the high-pressure Semi-finals, and got pitched up against Sri Lanka for the summit clash. 2^nd April 2011, India versus Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. It’s been 9 years and I still get goosebumps as I write.

The match involved many legends. Some were already, some would become. One of the many legends playing that game notched up an inspirational century. Mahela’s knock had set Lankans well placed. 275 was a target neither too small nor too big. In the night of the final after losing Sachin and Sehwag early, and a young Kohli soon as well, what did Dhoni do? He promoted himself ahead of an in-form Yuvraj Singh, who later won the man of the tournament.

MS joined Gambhir and stitched an unforgettable partnership and continued until India crossed the line. He deposited Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on for a historic six and those eagle-like eyes got transfixed on the ball disappearing in the night sky. “DHONI!! Finishes off in style… and India lifts the World Cup after 28 years… The party starts in Mumbai”. The vigorous words of Ravi Shastri coincided with the most iconic moment of Indian cricket as MS Dhoni twirled his magical wand.

4. ICC Champions Trophy 2013

MS Dhoni’s affair with ICC trophies was not coming to a halt after 2007 and 2011. This time around it was in England and Dhoni said “bring it on”. The 2013 team was an entirely different unit. There was no Tendulkar, no Sehwag, no Gambhir, no Yuvraj, no Zaheer, and no Harbhajan. But Dhoni always knew how to get the job done.

He took an inspired bunch of cricketers, all of whom were extremely young and were coming of age. The names of Jadeja, Kohli, Ashwin, Dhawan were all solidifying and cementing their respective slots in an overly competitive team. India’s recent dismal record in England had spooked many and not too many would have bet on India at the start. That what happened might make one feel today and say that India looked like winning it, but that’s a call you’re making in the luxury of hindsight.

India defeated South Africa, West Indies, and Pakistan to make a way in the semi-finals. The two teams from the 2011 World Cup’s final clash were facing each other again this time. India defeated Sri Lanka once again and forced its way in the final to meet hosts England at Birmingham. Pitched up against England in England! Yes, India was invincible thus far, yet the odds weren’t in favour. Rain played a spoilsport and the encounter was reduced to a 20-over event from 50 due to lost time.

When India managed merely 129 runs, the chances of them winning the tournament looked darker than the clouds hovering over Birmingham. England required 28 off 18. By now, if you don’t know that Dhoni is going to do something unexpected, you don’t know Dhoni, the player. (The man is not known by anyone anyway). He gives the ball to Ishant Sharma, knowing that he can be expensive, knowing that if this backfires, he’ll face severe wrath. And India wins eventually by 5 runs. MS Dhoni for you!

5. Taking India to No. 1 (quite literally)

Dhoni’s tale has a lot of number ones. In how many senses was this man number one himself? He took India to No. 1 in the ICC Test ranking in 2009. A period when he himself was at the zenith: No. 1 in ICC ODI rankings. Dhoni, the captain, was unarguably the finest, the sharpest. He led India in 60 Tests out of the 90 he played in his career. And he won more Tests (27) than any Indian captain did until that point.

Indian team scaled the ICC ODI rankings many times under his reign. He led India in 200 ODIs; won 110 and lost 74. Only two captains- Ricky Ponting (230) and Stephen Fleming (218)- have captained in more ODIs than him. He captained India in 72 of the 98 T20Is he played and won 41 and lost 28. Thus, in both formats, Dhoni won much more than he lost.

Of the 332 matches as captain in entirety, he won 178 matches and lost 120. In his captaincy career, he took India to No. 1 in the ICC rankings across formats various times, but he took Indian cricket to number one in the world quite literally.