Dhoni retired from international cricket on this day in 2020
New Delhi (IANS). It was on this day in 2020 that Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who took Indian cricket to new heights through his unorthodox captaincy and bold batting style, bid adieu to his illustrious 15-year-long international cricket career.
The wicketkeeper-batsman had announced his retirement through a social media post with a mashup of pictures from his playing days with Mukesh’s song “Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar Hoon” as the background music.
“Thank you so much for your love and support. Consider me retired from 1929 hrs,” Dhoni captioned the post.
The veteran wicket-keeper is the only captain to lead the team to victory in all the important ICC tournaments. His initial leadership venture came with India’s triumph in the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa, and his fondest achievement is the 2011 ODI World Cup victory.
Dhoni accomplished a lot with the title in the 2013 Champions Trophy, which till date, is the last ICC title won by India.
In his role as captain, he led India in 60 Test matches, winning 27, losing 18, and ending with 15 draws. His win rate of 45.00% is one of the highest among captains of the Indian team in different eras.
His performance in the shorter formats was even more remarkable. Captaining India in 72 T20Is, he won 41, lost 28, tied one and ended in no result in two. His success rate in this format stood at a commendable 56.94%.
From his debut in December 2004 till the announcement of his retirement in August 2020, Dhoni left a lasting impression on the world of sports. He scored 10,773 ODI runs in 350 matches and 4876 runs in 90 Test matches.
Behind the stumps, Dhoni was a formidable presence, ending his career as the third most efficient international wicket-keeper with a total of 829 dismissals.
Even after retiring from international cricket in 2020, the player has maintained his association with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Under his leadership, the franchise has won five IPL championships, the latest of which was achieved in the May 2023 edition.
