They say that the memory of a cricket fan is short-lived and people tend to forget the past way too quickly but not when it's about MS Dhoni.
Ever since a teary-eyed Mahi walked off the international stage after India's heartbreaking defeat at the 2019 World Cup semi-final, the country has been lining up to get a glimpse of its favourite son back in action in the IPL.
From stadiums covered in yellow no matter where the Chennai Super Kings play, to people eagerly waiting for the IPL to start, not to see their favourite team compete but to watch Dhoni pick up the bat once again, proves that MSD has attained the status of a demigod.
More than the batter and the wicket-keeper, Dhoni the captain has set standards so high that the current lot is finding it tough to get anywhere close to it.
DHONI's EXPLOITS AS CAPTAIN IN THE IPL
With 5 IPL titles, Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians may have won 1 more trophy than MS Dhoni-led CSK, but MSD is still the most consistent skipper in the cash-rich league.
Mahi's Yellow Army has reached the playoffs in 13 seasons out of the 15 they have participated in, missing out only in 2020 and 2022.
CSK's consistency stands out in the league. Dhoni's brigade reached the playoffs most times among all franchises. That despite being banned for 2 years.
Dhoni is the most successful captain in the IPL as far as the number of matches won is concerned. Mahi has won 133 games as a skipper, while Rohit Sharma is 2nd on the list with 87 victories.
MOST WINS IN IPL AS CAPTAIN
Matches Won Lost Win %
MS Dhoni 226 133 91 58.8
R Sharma 155 85 66 54.8
V Kohli 143 66 70 46.1
They say that a captain is as good as his team but there wouldn't have been such a legacy of CSK without the legendary skipper Dhoni.
DHONI's EXPLOITS AS CAPTAIN IN INTERNATIONAL CRICKET
India under Dhoni in T20Is
It's not just the IPL where Dhoni stood out as a leader. In fact, the foundation stone of MSD etching his name among the best captains in the world was laid in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007.
Captaining a rather-young Indian side after the ODI World Cup debacle the same year, Dhoni made headlines with his out-of-the-box thinking. His decision to give Joginder Singh the last over in the final proved to be a masterstroke as India pulled off a thrilling win to lift the trophy.
MSD led India in 72 T20 games and the Men in Blue won 41 of those, losing just 28. That's a win % of almost 57.
DHONI'S T20I CAPTAINCY RECORD
Matches 72
Won 41
Lost 28
Win % 56.9
To put things in perspective, India under Virat Kohli won 27 T20 internationals, making him the second-best Indian skipper in the T20 format.
India under Dhoni in ODIs
Dhoni stamped his authority in ODI cricket as well. In fact, that format suited Mahi the most. He was handed over the leadership role in 2007 when Rahul Dravid vacated the position.
In a captaincy career that spanned over a decade, Dhoni led Team India to its first ODI World Cup triumph in 28 years in 2011.
He then went on to guide the Men in Blue to a Champions Trophy triumph in 2013. Thus, becoming the only captain in the history of cricket to win all 3 ICC trophies. (ICC World Test Championship hadn't started back then)
Overall, in the 200 ODIs Dhoni captained India in, the Men in Blue won 110 and lost 74 of those. That's a win % of 55
DHONI'S ODI CAPTAINCY RECORD
Matches 200
Won 110
Lost 74
Win % 55
Dhoni's record at the ODI World Cup is also second to none. In the 17 matches he has captained, India has lost just 2. With 1 game ending in a tie, it makes a win % of over 82.
DHONI'S SUPREMACY
ODI WC AS CAPTAIN
Matches 17
Won 14
Lost 2
Tied 1
Win % 82.3
India under Dhoni in Tests
Many believe that limited-overs cricket suited Mahi more than Tests and comparatively, it might be the case. However, India's record under Dhoni in whites also speaks for itself.
In 60 Tests Dhoni captained, India won 27, lost 18 and drew 15 of those. A win % of 45 may be less than what Dhoni had in ODIs and T20Is, but it still ranks above many renowned captains in Test history.
DHONI'S TEST CAPTAINCY RECORD
Matches 60
Won 27
Lost 18
Draw 15
Win % 45
Though it's a great record, Mahi realised that the Test format didn't suit him as much as limited-overs cricket. That was the reason he retired from whites on December 30, 2014, and continued to captain India in T20Is and ODIs.
However, on the face of it, Dhoni was still the most successful Indian Test skipper back then, a record that was later broken by Virat Kohli. Moreover, India won the ICC Test Championship mace for the first time in the 2009-10 season under MSD.
MS Dhoni's name has become a synonym for captaincy and whenever the world will talk about the best captains to have graced the game of cricket, MS Dhoni's name will be right up there.
