Stats: MS Dhoni, the most successful wicketkeeper-batsman to captain in ODIs
We look all the standout numbers from his international career as captain, batter, wicketkeeper, and...wait for it...bowler
Gaurav Sundararaman and Shiva Jayaraman
15-Aug-2020
MS Dhoni, who called time on his international career on Saturday, left behind a rich legacy in limited-overs cricket, both as a wicketkeeper-batsman and one of the most successful captains. He finished his ODI career with 10773 runs, including 10 centuries, at an average of 50.57. In T20Is, he made 1617 runs at an average of 37.60. On the leadership front, he is the only captain to win all three limited-overs ICC titles: the ODI World Cup, the Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup. ESPNcricinfo looks at some of the statistical highlights of all three facets to his career as an India player.
Dhoni the batsman
50.57 Dhoni's average in ODIs. Only Virat Kohli has a better average among those who have scored 10000 runs or more in ODI cricket. In fact, only Dhoni and Kohli average above 50. Sachin Tendulkar is placed third, with an average of 44.83.
47 Instances of Dhoni remaining unbeaten in successful chases in ODIs. No other batsman comes close. Jonty Rhodes is second, with 33 such not-outs. Incidentally, India have lost only two matches when Dhoni was not out in a chase: against Pakistan in Kolkata in 2013, and against England at the 2019 World Cup.
9 Instances in which Dhoni completed a successful ODI chase with a six. No other player has achieved this feat more times than him.
229 Sixes hit by Dhoni in ODIs. Only Rohit Sharma has hit more sixes for India than Dhoni, who is placed fifth on the all-time list for most sixes by any player.
7 Centuries scored by Dhoni at No. 5 five or lower - joint-highest for any team along with Yuvraj Singh and Jos Buttler. Two of his best hundreds in ODIs came early in his career while batting at No. 3 when he scored 183* and 148 against Sri Lanka and Pakistan respectively.
Dhoni the captain
3 ICC tournaments won by India under Dhoni; it is the most by an India captain. Only Ricky Ponting has won more ICC titles as captain than Dhoni.
332 Most matches as captain in international cricket. Dhoni led India in 200 ODIs, 72 T20Is, and 60 Tests. He also has the second-most wins in limited-overs international games - 151 - behind only Ponting's 172.
2 Losses for MS Dhoni in ODI World Cup matches as captain. Only Ponting and Clive Lloyd have a better win-loss ratio than Dhoni. His record in ODI World Cups was almost impeccable, with his two losses coming against South Africa (in the league stage of the 2011 World Cup) and Australia (in the semi-final of the 2015 World Cup). His record in the T20 World Cups, however, was modest, with 20 wins and 11 losses.
Dhoni the wicketkeeper
444 Dismissals by Dhoni in ODIs - third-most in the format. However, his 123 stumpings are the most by any wicketkeeper. No other keeper has 100 stumpings. His 91 dismissals in T20Is, including 34 stumpings are also the highest for any cricketer in the format.
6641 Runs scored as captain-wicketkeeper in ODIs. No other batsman has scored as many runs while leading their team and donning the gloves. Dhoni was India's captain and gloveman in 200 matches. Apart from him, no other keeper has led his country in more than 46 games. In terms of runs scored as a captain-keeper, Kumar Sangakkara is a distant second with 1756 runs from 45 matches.
Dhoni the bowler
Lest you forgot, Dhoni has bowled, too. He has one ODI wicket against his name - that of Travis Dowlin from the match against West Indies in 2009.