From a dashing, flamboyant wicket-keeper batsman who blasted bowling attacks out of the ballpark to becoming one of the most successful captains in Indian cricket history, Dhoni’s evolution as a cricketer in international cricket was nothing but remarkable. Today, on the back of the veteran announcing his retirement from international cricket, we, here at SportsCafe, look back at five of his finest moments on the field in an Indian shirt!

A year and 21 matches into his ODI career, people had seen enough of MS Dhoni to know what he was capable of, but, by then, he still hadn’t showcased the cricketing world the wreckage of his wrath. Having already comfortably won the first two ODIs, India headed into the 3rd ODI in Jaipur with a chance to go 3-0 up in the 7-match series. Chasing a stiff target of 299, India lost Sachin in just the 5th ball of the match. While everyone was expecting Dravid to walk in, the skipper caught everyone by surprise by sending Dhoni in at #3 instead. His 148 against Pakistan at Visakhapatnam came batting at #3 too, so perhaps Dravid was eager to see if Dhoni could repeat that feat again. Either way, all Dravid did was send Dhoni in at No.3 and the rest, as they say, is history. A then 24-year-old Dhoni ripped the Lankan bowlers to shreds, smashing 15 fours and 10 sixes to equal Sourav Ganguly’s record for the second highest indivdual score by an Indian batsman. Dhoni ended with 183*, and by the time he smashed his last six - off the bowling of Dilshan - the wicket-keeper batsman had already sent shockwaves around the whole cricketing fraternity.    

Needless to say, every single person in the country knows how big an occasion an India vs Pakistan clash is, irrespective of the stage. In the very first match of the 3-match bilateral ODI series in Chennai, Pakistan won the toss & put India to bat in rather challenging batting conditions. Much to everyone’s shock and disbelief, Junaid Khan ran riot and the top 5 Indian batsmen were sent packing with single-digit scores next to their name. Walking in to bat at 29-5, Dhoni was literally the only hope for India; not just for victory but also to save themselves for a certain embarrassment.

In what could perhaps be called the best knock of his career, Dhoni batted with immense courage, grit and determination to fend off the threat posed by the Pakistani bowlers to race to a century. With Suresh Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin chipping in with a 30 and 40, Dhoni steered the Indian ship on his own, and, from a position of hopelessness, they ended up with a score of 227, giving something for the bowlers to defend. Although India ended up on the losing side, this knock was enough to show the whole world why opponents considered India to always be in the game as long as Dhoni was still batting; perhaps this is the exact reason why the fans never gave up in the semi-final against New Zealand in 2019. 

Run out of Mustafizur Rahman in the 2016 T20 World Cup

Having already gotten a thrashing at the hands of New Zealand in the very first match of the tournament, India headed into their encounter against Bangladesh under serious pressure, as they knew a defeat could very well send them packing from the World Cup. Batting first at Chinnaswamy, India only managed to post a modest total of 146, which, at that point in time, looked a sub-par one. With 11 left for Bangladesh to get off the last over, Dhoni made a gutsy call and gave Hardik Pandya the responsibility to defend it. It instantaneously seemed like a blunder, as Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim took 9 runs off the first 3 deliveries, meaning all Bangladesh needed to spoil India’s party was to score 2 runs off the remaining 3 deliveries.

Who remembers this 🔥 run-out from MS Dhoni in the 2016 @T20WorldCup?



Where would you rate this in the top Dhoni moments in international cricket? pic.twitter.com/orpkEN3xhP

— ICC (@ICC) August 15, 2020

For 28 years, India had not tasted World Cup glory. The Indian team led by Sourav Ganguly came close in 2003 but were outclassed by a superior Australian team in the final. After having thrashed their arch-rivals Pakistan in the semis, India entered the final brimming with confidence, knowing they had a realistic chance of lifting the trophy. Sri Lanka batted first and posted a challenging score of 274 in their 50 overs, thanks to Mahela Jayawardene’s supreme hundred. In their quest of chasing 275, India lost both Sehwag and Sachin early. The crowd was silenced and it felt like the ghosts of 2003 were going to haunt India once again. When Dilshan dismissed Kohli in the 22nd over, India were still 161 adrift of the target. When everyone expected Yuvraj - the best performer for India in the tournament - to come in, skipper Dhoni once again surprised the whole world by walking in to bat at #5.

He outclassed the Sri Lankan bowlers and formed a gargantuan partnership with Gautam Gambhir to take India within striking distance. With victory in sight, Gambhir was dismissed by Thisara Perera. But once again, like he’d done throughout his career, Dhoni went about his business with his evergreen phlegmatic attitude. And soon, with him on strike, India were one hit away from glory. Yes, 4 runs away from burying all the sorrows of the past, 4 runs away from gifting Sachin his first ever World Cup and 4 runs away from becoming the World Champions. As a helpless Nuwan Kulasekara pitched up a length ball around off-stump, Dhoni flexed his muscles and sent the ball into the stands for a huge six. The whole of Wankhede - along with a billion others watching on television - erupted instantaneously and it was pure joy and elation for the whole nation. The words “And Dhoni, finishes it off in style” still reverberates around the ears of every India to date; such was the effect of that one hit, such was the enormity of that occasion. This hit, without a doubt, is the single biggest moment in Indian cricket history.