MS Dhoni is arguably one of the greatest cricketing geniuses of all time. Known for his charismatic leadership and his ability to maintain composure under pressure, Dhoni’s captaincy sparked a golden era in Indian cricket that went a long way in shaping the future of the sport in the country. Below, we outline some of the highlights from the Dhoni captaincy record.
Dhoni captained the Men in Blue in 331 matches spanning all formats since the year 2007. His collected temperament coupled with an uncanny ability to outfox the opposition earned him the nickname ‘Captain Cool’. Under his leadership, team India went on to grab three ICC titles, the most by an Indian skipper to this date. Dhoni introduced a new brand of cricket under his leadership, characterized by aggression and fearless cricket. He was known for his unique methods and unconventional decisions that often surprised his opponents but led to momentous wins.
Read also: What is MS Dhoni’s net worth?
Sponsored
The 42-year-old announced his retirement from international cricket in 2020 and finished his career on a high. While he is no longer active on the international stage, Dhoni plays a lot of his cricket in the IPL where he is currently leading the Chennai Super Kings. In this year’s IPL edition, Dhoni led his franchise to their fifth IPL title. Most of his success came in the shortest format of the game where he has an unassailable win record of 56.9%.
On that note, let us shed some light on MS Dhoni captaincy record and delve into some of his never-ending list of monumental milestones as an Indian skipper.
MS Dhoni captaincy overview across all three formats
MS Dhoni assumed the leadership role for team India at a time of great uncertainty. Following India’s infamous exit from the 2007 World Cup edition, calls for a change in leadership began growing louder. Later that year, Dhoni was named as a skipper for the inaugural T20 World Cup that took place in South Africa.
Against all odds, Dhoni’s brilliance helped India earn their maiden T20 World Cup title. The event marked a new chapter for Indian cricket and established Dhoni as the most dependable captain.
Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India tasted success in numerous bilateral and multi-nation tournaments. He did not allow the retirement of stalwarts like Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid to create a void in the team’s leadership. His second biggest achievement came during the 2011 World Cup edition when Dhoni ended India’s 28-year-long wait by steering India to their second ODI World Cup title.
Read also: Who is Dhoni’s wife?
Lastly, in 2013, Dhoni became the only captain in the world to have won all three major ICC trophies when India triumphed in the Champions Trophy tournament, giving him a unique place in cricket’s hall of fame. Dhoni’s captaincy was not just about winning matches or trophies; it was about creating a team that believed in itself, showcasing a fighting spirit, and fostering young talent. Under his leadership, the team produced several match-winners who continue to shine even today.
MS Dhoni captaincy record across ODI and T20I is well above 50% making him one of the most successful captains in white-ball cricket. However, the ‘Captain Cool’ did not have a lot of success in the longer format of the game as his win percentage stood at just 45%.
MS Dhoni captaincy record in tests
Matches: 60, Won: 27, Lost: 18, Draw: 15, Wins Home: 21, Wins Away: 6, Home Series Win: 9, Away Series Win: 3
45% – MS Dhoni is the second most successful test captain for India trailing behind the legendary Kohli. Under his captaincy, India triumphed in 27 matches surpassing his predecessor Ganguly. MS Dhoni’s captaincy was at its brutal best on home soil. However, the gifted skipper could not replicate the same degree of success overseas.
3454 – These are the total number of runs made by MS Dhoni as a test skipper for India. These runs account for nearly 71% of the total runs that he scored in his entire test career spanning from 2005-2014.
224 – His highest test score as a test skipper for Team India. He achieved this extraordinary score against a strong Australian squad in February 2013. His humongous innings virtually batted Australia out of the game as India went on to achieve a landslide victory by a margin of 8 wickets. This also happens to be his highest overall test score.
40.63 – As a skipper, Dhoni averaged 40.63 in test cricket after 60 games. It is worth noting that his test average had been comparatively better while leading India in red-ball cricket. The finisher absolutely loved taking on the bowlers in the game’s longer format and scored most of his runs while attacking the ball.
57.82 – This is Dhoni’s overall batting strike rate as an Indian captain in test cricket. His strike rate in Test cricket is substantially lower than in other formats. However, he could always switch gears and become relentless in his assault, especially against the slow bowlers.
5 – The number of test centuries that Dhoni scored as a captain for team India. Nearly all his centuries came as a skipper. Overall, the Ranchi-based wicketkeeper-batsman has 6 test centuries under his belt. Dhoni scored all his centuries against South Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia, and West Indies.
21 – The total number of test wins achieved by MS Dhoni on home soil. He trails behind Kohli by one spot who has the most number of test wins at home (22). Dhoni’s first test win came against South Africa in 2008 at Kanpur while his last test win came against England in 2014 at Lord’s.
MS Dhoni captaincy record in ODIs
Matches: 200, Won: 110, Lost: 74, NR: 11, Tied: 5
55.27% – When it comes to white-ball success, MS Dhoni’s name comes on the top. He is arguably India’s best skipper in 50-over cricket. His winning percentage of 55.27% is considered to be the best ever recorded by any Indian captain in 50-over cricket. At the international level, he is only behind Ricky Ponting by one spot who has a winning percentage of 71.73%.
110 – Out of 200 ODI matches, Dhoni has led India to 110 victories. Under his leadership, India went on to triumph in the 2011 World Cup final beating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets. His biggest victory in terMS of run margin came in 2016 when India beat the Black Caps by a mammoth margin of 190 runs.
69.06 – This is MS Dhoni’s batting average as an ODI skipper for India. Dhoni had the ability to take the game deep and close it in favor of team India during the final stages of the game. He was regarded as one of the most threatening batsmen of his time who could finish the game in fine style.
124 – This is Dhoni’s highest ODI score as a captain for the Men in Blue. He achieved this monumental score in the 2nd ODI match against Australia in 2009. India were able to post a stiff target of 355 on the back of Dhoni’s impressive ton. The target proved sufficient as Australia were bundled out for 255.
183*– This is Dhoni’s highest individual score in ODI cricket. During this time, Dhoni was playing under the leadership of Rahul Dravid and was yet to assume the captaincy role. His swashbuckling score of 183* (145) came against Sri Lanka in an ODI series back in 2006. Dhoni mercilessly punished the likes of Vaas, Maharoof, Jayasuriya, and Muralidaran and smocked it to all parts helping India chase down 300 within 46 overs.
MS Dhoni captaincy record in T20Is
Matches: 72, Won: 41, Lost: 28, Tie: 2, NR: 1
56.9% – This is Dhoni’s winning percentage in T20Is. Dhoni has the best win percentage in T20I cricket compared to any other format. He has led the Men in Blue to some memorable victories in this format. Most famous of all is India’s nerve-wracking victory against Pakistan in the 2007 T20 World Cup final.
41 – In 72 T20I matches, India has triumphed on 41 occasions under his leadership. He has achieved the most number of wins for team India in this format compared to any other Indian skipper. During his tenure, India secured a number of bilateral series wins in home and away conditions. However, Dhoni did not seem to have much success against the Blackcaps in this format.
49.08 – Dhoni had a very healthy T20I batting average of 49.08 as an Indian skipper. He scored 1617 runs and only recorded one duck in this format.
142.96 – This is Dhoni’s strike rate in T20I as a captain. Dhoni predominately batted in the middle order and scored most of his runs in the form of short, yet explosive cameos. He has smashed 45 fours and 19 sixes as a skipper.
MS Dhoni captaincy record in IPL
Matches: 226, Won: 133, Lost: 91, NR: 2
226 – The total number of matches in which MS Dhoni captained Chennai Super Kings. Under his leadership, Dhoni led the Men in Yellow to 5 IPL titles.
133 – The total number of matches won by CSK under Dhoni’s leadership. These are also the most number of wins by any Indian skipper in the history of IPL.
59.37% – MS Dhoni’s win record as CSK skipper is the best ever recorded by any Indian skipper. He has led the Chennai-based franchise to some crushing victories during his reign.
5 – The total number of IPL titles won by MS Dhoni. Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are currently at par with each other with the most number of title wins. Chennai Super Kings won their latest IPL title in the 2023 IPL edition under the leadership of MS Dhoni.
84* – His career-best score as a player in the IPL. He smashed a brutal 84* (49) against RCB in the 2019 IPL edition in a bid to keep CSK alive in the run-chase. However, he ran out of luck and CSK lost that game by one run.
4660 – The total number of runs scored in IPL as a CSK skipper. He averages just a shade under 40 and has a strike rate of 136.3 with 22 half-centuries to his name.
MSD is widely regarded as one of the most astute tacticians in cricket history, with an impressive captaincy record in the IPL. The veteran has led the Super Kings to five titles and is one of only two captains to successfully defend the crown.
This Is What Happens When You Idolize And Play Under MS Dhoni Captaincy. https://t.co/KNcLiU3GuO pic.twitter.com/sQF5UjhPXw
— Aufridi Chumtya (@ShuhidAufridi) October 7, 2023
Dhoni’s captaincy record across all formats in international cricket
Matches: 331, Won: 178, Lost: 120, Tie: 6, NR: 12
It is safe to conclude that the Dhoni captaincy record is second to none. MS Dhoni who is fondly called as captain cool by his fans and followers had a stellar record as captain in international cricket. MS Dhoni had a long span of career around 9 years to captain the team in all 3 formats. He led India in 331 matches across all formats and recorded a very impressive overall win percentage of 53.78%.
Dhoni’s captaincy had a flavor of calmness that swiftly used to take over the opposition. He was absolutely brilliant in the Test format as India rose to the number 1 spot in the ICC Test team rankings in December 2009, a reign which continued for 18 months.
Dhoni often used to save his best when the team needed him the most. In a tricky situation in the game, when the set batsmen would get out, Captain Cool would keep his nerves and drag his team all the way to victory. He was known for his calm and composed demeanor under pressure, and he was often able to win matches for India with his late-inning batting. This was a seldom skill possessed only by a selected few.
Besides, Dhoni has had a prolific run as a skipper in the IPL. Under him. CSK soared to new heights. Dhoni has captained CSK to five titles in IPL and also five runners-up finishes, making the Indian great the only captain to reach the IPL finals ten times. In his illustrious IPL career, the former India captain had led CSK to the title in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023.
With such impressive stats, it will certainly require some doing to get past Dhoni’s captaincy record.
