Indian cricket star Dhoni’s five notable innings
Indian cricket superstar M.S. Dhoni has called time on his illustrious international career, which included success in every format and two limited-overs World Cups as captain.
The 39-year-old played 90 Tests, 350 one-day internationals and 98 Twenty20s for India since his debut in 2004.
AFP takes a look at five notable Dhoni innings:
Early impression: Visakhapatnam, 2005
Dhoni put aside scores of zero, 12, seven and three to announce himself in his fifth ODI with a match-winning 148 against India’s arch-rivals Pakistan.
Coming in one-down in a team that included Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag, Dhoni stole the limelight with his 123-ball blitz. The wicketkeeper-batsman smashed 15 fours and four sixes to guide India to 356 and a 58-run win in Visakhapatnam.
Rise of the Ranchi star: Jaipur, 2005
It was never easy to take the crease after Tendulkar in an Indian stadium. But after the superstar fell for just two during a Jaipur ODI, a young Dhoni tore into the Sri Lankan attack with an unbeaten 183.
The devastating knock helped India chase a target of 299 and made the cricket world take notice.
It remains his highest-ever ODI score.
History: Mumbai, 2011
With India chasing Sri Lanka’s 275 on home soil in the ODI World Cup final, Dhoni — who had earned the nickname “Captain Cool” — soaked in the pressure to hit an unbeaten 91.
He whacked Nuwan Kulasekara for six to win the final in Mumbai, triggering wild celebrations in cricket-mad India whose fans had waited 28 years for an ODI World Cup.
The innings, and the final shot over the fence, cemented Dhoni’s status as one of India’s greatest ever cricketers.
Marathon man: Chennai, 2013
While best-known for his explosive batting in limited-overs formats, Dhoni often stamped his authority in Tests too.
In the first match of a four-Test home series, Dhoni hammered the Aussie attack led by Mitchell Starc for 224 at Chennai in an innings that lasted more than six hours.
India won the Test, and went on to whitewash the visitors as Dhoni established himself as one of India’s most successful captains.
T20 Glory: Bangalore, 2017
Dhoni led India to victory in the inaugural T20 World Cup, beating Pakistan in the final at Johannesburg. And while he never scored a T20 hundred, he made a difference with numerous key knocks.
Among the most memorable Dhoni T20 innings is the 56 against England in Bangalore in 2017 — his highest T20 score. With wristy flicks and big hits down the ground, the skipper guided India to 202 and a comfortable win.