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“It is the end of an era,” Sourav Ganguly, Dhoni’s first international captain and now the president of BCCI, said in a statement. “What a player he has been for the country and world cricket. His leadership qualities have been something which will be hard to match, especially in the shorter for- mat of the game. His batting in one-day cricket in his early stages made the world stand up and notice his flair and sheer natural brilliance. Every good thing comes to an end and this has been an absolutely brilliant one.
“He has set the standards for the wicketkeepers to come and make a mark for the coun- try. He will finish with no re- grets on the field. An outstand- ing career; I wish him the best in life.”
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and managing director of India Cements, owners of the Super Kings franchise, had said that Dhoni would be retained by the team going into the mega auction for the 2021 IPL.
The announcement meant Dhoni’s final international match would remain his 350th ODI: the World Cup 2019 semi-final against New Zea- land in July 2019.
Dhoni made 50 off 72 balls in that game before being beat- en by a rocket throw from Mar- tin Guptill by inches as India exited the tournament. Dhoni hasn’t played any competitive cricket since then and had only resumed proper training with Super Kings in March before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Dhoni also played 90 Test matches and 98 T20Is in an in- ternational career that began
Promoted once again in the batting order, MS Dhoni scored a memorable 183* against Sri Lanka in October 2005. He struck 15 fours and 10 sixes to dismantle the Lankan total. To this day, the knock happens to be the
highest score by a ‘keeper-batsman.
in December 2004. His sta- across formats, 16 centuries, tistics are outstanding: more and more than 800 dismissals than 15,000 international runs as wicketkeeper.
honi remains the only 84 Instances of Dhoni re- captain to win all the maining unbeaten in ODIs three ICC trophies - - the most by any player. Of
World T20 in South Africa in 2007, World Cup at home in 2011 and Champions Trophy in England in 2013.
444 Dismissals made by Dhoni in ODI cricket - third- most in the history of the for- mat behind Kumar Sangakka- ra (482) and Adam Gilchrist (472). Dhoni took 321 catches behind the stumps and effect- ed 123 stumpings - the only player to effect more than 100 stumpings in the format.
183 Dhoni’s unbeaten 183 against Sri Lanka in Jaipur in 2005 is the highest individual score made by a player des- ignated as a wicketkeeper in ODIs.
11 Players scoring more runs in ODI cricket than Dhoni’s 10773 runs. 8324 of these runs came batting at number five or below - more than 2000 runs ahead of any other player batting in these positions.
the 84 instances, 50 came in run-chases of which India went on to win 47 with one end- ing in a tie and two in defeats.
3484 Partnership runs for Dhoni with Raina in ODIs - the most by a pair for the fourth wicket or below in the
format.
91 Dismissals by Dhoni in
T20 Internationals - the most by a wicketkeeper.
6 Dhoni led India in all the six World T20s so far held - no other player from a full member team has led their respective side in more than three editions. Dhoni led India to title glory in the inaugural edition in 2007, was runners up to Sri Lanka in 2014 and reached semifinals the last time the event was held in 2016.
^ MS Dhoni added some more silverware to his rich collection of trophies as skipper by defeating Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final in Dambulla. In a must-win encounter against Pakistan, Dhoni added 56 valuable runs which proved to be pivotal in India winning that match and advancing to the final.
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AUGUST 21, 2020 | The Indian Eye