On July 7, 1981, Devaki Devi and Pan Singh, a middle-class family from Ranchi, Jharkhand, gave birth to a baby boy. Who would have thought that one day this little boy would put Ranchi on the world map and help the Indian cricket team win three ICC trophies under his leadership?
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a once mediocre person from Ranchi, has come a long way to earning the moniker “Thala” and becoming a role model for many across the globe. From making the tough decision to quit his job as a Traveling Ticket Examiner (TTE) in the railways to making crucial decisions on the field, Dhoni is synonymous with a sharp mind and has given Ranchi, once known for its mental asylum, a new face.
The Ranchi-born led the Indian cricket team for a decade, during which the world saw India lift three ICC trophies: the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. His leadership skills ended India’s 24-year drought of ICC trophies and took the Indian cricket team to another level, making him arguably one of the best captains in the world. 
Regarding the marquee tournament, the Indian Premier League (IPL), Dhoni helped his beloved Chennai Super Kings (CSK) clinch five trophies in this cash-rich league.
The wicket-keeper batter started his international journey with a run-out, and coincidentally, his career ended with a run-out against New Zealand in the 2019 ODI World Cup’s semifinal. In August 2020, Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket through an emotional video post on Instagram, featuring the song “Mai Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar,” with the caption reading “Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. From 1929 hrs consider me as Retired.”
On July 7, 2024, MS Dhoni turns 43 and in this piece, WSG list the seven most impactful innings of Dhoni in international cricket.
91* vs Sri Lanka, 2011 World Cup Final
The 2011 World Cup memory will forever etched in the Indian cricket fraternity, as India lifted the ODI World Cup for the second time, that too after a long gap of 28 years. It was pin-drop silence at the Wankhede Stadium when India lost both their openers, Virender Sehwag (0) and Sachin Tendulkar (18), within the first seven overs while chasing Sri Lanka’s hefty target of 274 runs. Gautam Gambhir paired up with youngster Virat Kohli and stitched a crucial 83 runs for the third wicket under tremendous pressure.
Despite Kohli and Gambhir’s valuable partnership, India were reeling at 114/3 in the 22nd over. Dhoni had a lackluster season in the mega event, but the wicket-keeper batter stepped up when the team needed him the most. He promoted himself to number five and left everyone amazed by not seeing the start performer Yuvraj Singh at number five. But as we say, Dhoni is synonymous with a sharp mind, and the decision to promote himself to number five yielded the desired result for Asian giants. Dhoni and Gambhir added a match-winning 109 runs for the fifth wicket, but the latter fell just three runs short of his well-deserved century in the summit clash.
The Ranchi-born remained unbeaten on 91 runs off 79 balls and finished the game with a magnificent six. Ravi Shastri’s words, “Dhoni finishes off in style. A magnificent strike into the crowd. India lifts the World Cup after 28 years. The party started in the dressing room. And it’s an Indian captain, who’s been absolutely magnificent on the night of the final,” will forever be remembered by cricket aficionados. Dhoni was awarded the Player of the Match award for his scintillating knock in the grand finale.
148 vs Pakistan, 2nd ODI (2005)
Dhoni didn’t have a great start to his international career, getting run out for a duck in his debut match and failing to prove his mettle in his first four matches. However, on April 5, 2005, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly promoted Dhoni to number three against Pakistan in Visakhapatnam, and the rest is history.
India lost Sachin Tendulkar for a mere 2 runs in the fourth over of the innings, but Dhoni paired up with Virender Sehwag and added 96 runs for the second wicket. The wicket-keeper batter smashed Pakistani bowlers for fun and notched up his maiden century in international cricket. He scored 148 runs with 15 fours and 4 sixes, helping India post a mammoth 356/9 in 50 overs. Eventually, India won by 58 runs, and Dhoni was awarded Player of the Match for his breathtaking knock.
183* vs Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI (2005)
On October 31, 2005, the long-haired Dhoni made headlines with a blistering knock against Sri Lanka in Jaipur. This knock, coming in at number three, saw the wicket-keeper batter go honkers and bonkers against the Sri Lankan bowling attack and helped India chase down Sri Lanka’s 298 runs with 6 wickets and 23 balls to spare. Dhoni amassed an unbeaten 183 runs off 145 balls, including 15 fours and 10 sixes, which remains the highest individual score by any wicket-keeper batter in ODIs. The young Dhoni’s celebratory gunshot pose with the bat after his century is an iconic image for fans. His swashbuckling knock not only earned him appreciation but also made his long hairstyle famous among the youth.
45* vs Sri Lanka, Caribbean Tri-Series Final (2013)
MS Dhoni is one of the best finishers in cricket and his heroics in the Celkon Cup final against Sri Lanka in 2013 is a proven example of it. In a low-scoring thriller, India appeared in control chasing Sri Lanka’s 201 runs. However, a sudden collapse saw them plummet from 139/3 to a precarious 182/9. Ishant Sharma successfully negated the penultimate and the equation boiled down to 15 runs off the final over. The onus was on Dhoni to help India cross the finish line. With palpable pressure on both squads, Shaminda Eranga started the first ball with a dot, leaving India needing 15 runs off 5 balls. Dhoni was calm and composed and thrashed Eranga for 6, 4, and 6 in the next three balls, securing victory for India in the Tri-Series final with two balls to spare.
224 vs Australia, 1st Test (2013)
In the first Test of a four-match series against Australia in February 2013, MS Dhoni notched up his maiden double century in Test cricket. She helped India come out of a dire situation to win the match. Dhoni paired up with Kohli, forged 128 runs for the fifth wicket, and then added a crucial 140-run partnership with lower-order batter Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the ninth wicket. The wicket-keeper batter amassed 224 runs, including 24 fours and 6 sixes, helping India post a mammoth 572 runs in response to Australia’s 380 runs in first innings.
113* vs Pakistan, 1st ODI (2012)
On December 30, 2012, Pakistan rocked India hard in the first match of the three-match ODI series at Chennai. The Men in Blue were five wickets down for a mere 29 runs within the first powerplay. The Pakistani bowlers were spitting fire, but Dhoni displayed immense maturity under the tough situation. He added 75 runs for the sixth wicket with Suresh Raina to steady the sinking ship. The wicket-keeper batter then stitched an unbeaten 125-run stand with Ravi Ashwin, helping India post a respectable 227/6 in 50 overs. Dhoni (113*) notched up his century, smashing 7 fours and 3 sixes, but his magnificent knock went in vain as India lost the game by 6 wickets.
134 vs England, 2nd ODI (2017)
In January 2017, after stepping down from the captaincy of ODIs and T20Is and handing over the reins to Virat Kohli, Dhoni played a swashbuckling knock under the leadership of Virat Kohli. The wicket-keeper batter added a record 256 runs for the fifth wicket along with Yuvraj Singh (150) and played a scintillating knock of 134 runs. His knock comprised of 10 fours and 6 sixes. It is pertinent to mention that this was Dhoni’s last century in international cricket.
