At the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong, MS Dhoni played his maiden international match on December 23, 2004, an ODI against Bangladesh. Nineteen years later, he is regarded as one of the best leaders to have played the beautiful game of cricket.
MS Dhoni had anything but a lucky start to his international career. Tapash Baisya and Khaled Mashud combined to run out the wicketkeeper-battler after he got into a terrible mix-up with non-striker Mohammad Kaif on the first delivery he faced. The 23-year-old’s eventual rise to prominence as one of the most renowned captains in cricket history was not something that many could have foreseen back then.
The Ranchi native showed promise, and legendary captain Sourav Ganguly supported him all the way. On April 5, 2005, at Visakhapatnam, Dhoni made his first-ever ODI century against Pakistan, displaying his incredible hitting prowess after a run of poor performances. From that moment on, the man everyone loves to refer to as “Mahi” didn’t turn around and continued to deliver several game-winning knocks.
Senior players from India chose not to participate in the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa. Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and other contenders were not selected as captains before MS Dhoni. The dynamic hitter returned the selectors’ faith in him by leading the ‘Men in Blue’ to victory. Dhoni was named the white-ball captain when Rahul Dravid stepped down from the position. By assisting India in winning the CB series in Australia in 2008, he gave the globe a taste of his incredible leadership abilities.
He became the captain of India in all three formats in 2008. 2009 saw India rise to the top of the Test rankings under Dhoni’s direction. His legacy was cemented when he guided India to victories in both the 2013 Champions Trophy and the 2011 ODI World Cup. Dhoni made the announcement that he was quitting international cricket on August 15, 2020.
However, Dhoni continues to play a crucial role for the Indian Premier League’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) (IPL). He guided the squad to an IPL record-tying fifth title earlier this year, and he will undoubtedly compete in the lucrative 2024 competition. Dhoni’s final game as a professional cricketer may be in the IPL in 2024. His impact on the game will live on in cricket legend and serve as an inspiration to players in the future.
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