Former Team India captain MS Dhoni is celebrating his 43rd birthday on Sunday, July 7. Born in Jharkhand, Dhoni is one of the biggest stars in world cricket. Even though he retired from international cricket in 2020, he remains very popular, as seen from the admiration he receives in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
During his amazing career, Dhoni played 90 Tests, 350 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 98 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), scoring 4876, 10,773, and 1617 runs, respectively. His skills as a wicketkeeper are often underrated. He finished his international career with 634 catches and 195 stumpings.
Dhoni, a legendary Indian batsman, has played many memorable innings in one-day cricket, where he had the most success. He scored 10 hundreds and 73 fifties in his one-day career.
Here are five of his lesser-known but brilliant innings in this format.
5. (96 off 106) vs England in Jamshedpur, April 2006
Dhoni opened the batting with Virender Sehwag, who was the captain for this match as Rahul Dravid was resting. Even though Dhoni usually doesn’t bat in this position, he adapted well. He scored 96 runs from 106 balls, hitting 10 fours and three sixes.
Dhoni was close to scoring a century but missed it by just four runs. He got out to a slower ball from Sajid Mahmood, hitting it towards midwicket where the fielder caught it easily.
Dhoni’s performance was the highlight, though Ramesh Powar also contributed with 54 runs from 83 balls. India scored a total of 223 runs. England chased down the target in 42.4 overs, winning with five wickets remaining.
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4. (88* off 95) vs Sri Lanka in Brisbane, February 2008
Dhoni scored an impressive 88 not out off 95 balls against Sri Lanka in the second match of the Commonwealth Bank Series in February 2008. India won the toss and decided to bat first, ending their innings with a score of 267-4 in 50 overs.
India started well, with openers Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar adding 68 runs. However, they stumbled and fell to 83-4. Dhoni, along with Gautam Gambhir (who scored 102 not out off 101 balls), helped India recover.
Dhoni and Gambhir added an unbeaten 184 runs for the fifth wicket. Dhoni’s innings included five fours and a six. Despite this, fans might not remember this match well because Sri Lanka didn’t get to bat due to rain, resulting in a no result.
3. (79 off 88) vs Australia in Chennai, September 2017
No longer the team captain, Dhoni played an important role as a senior player at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai during the first ODI of the five-match series against Australia in September 2017. The right-handed batsman scored a crucial half-century to help India recover from a poor start.
India batted first but lost half their team for just 87 runs within 22 overs. Dhoni then partnered with Hardik Pandya (who scored 83 off 66 balls), and together they added 118 runs for the sixth wicket. Dhoni hit four fours and two sixes before he was caught at long-off by James Faulkner.
India scored 281-7 in their 50 overs. In reply, Australia struggled and were 137-9 after 21 overs, with Yuzvendra Chahal taking 3-30. India won the match by 26 runs using the DLS method.
2. (84* off 89) vs New Zealand in Napier, March 2009
One of the best things about Dhoni’s batting in one-day matches was his ability to play in different situations. He could adjust his game to fit what was needed. In a match against New Zealand in Napier in March 2009, the game was shortened to 38 overs, and Dhoni came in to bat at No. 3.
India lost Tendulkar when he scored 20 runs, but Dhoni (84* off 89) and Sehwag (77 off 56) built a 52-run partnership for the second wicket. Dhoni kept the innings steady, hitting six fours in his unbeaten score and making sure he didn’t use up too many balls.
Dhoni then added 110 runs for the fifth wicket with Suresh Raina (66 off 39). India ended up with a strong total of 273-4 in their 38 overs. New Zealand was given a revised target of 216 in 28 overs but only managed to score 162-9, giving India a famous win.
1. (139* off 97) for Asia XI vs Africa XI in Chennai, June 2007
New cricket fans might not know that there was a tournament called the Afro-Asia Cup played in 2007 between teams named Asia XI and Africa XI. Three matches were played, and Asia XI won all three.
In the third and final match in Chennai, Dhoni scored an impressive 139* off 97 balls. Asia XI, led by Sri Lankan legend Mahela Jayawardene, batted first after winning the toss and posted 331-8 in their 50 overs. Jayawardene also played well, scoring 107 off 106 balls.
Asia XI had a rough start, losing half their team for just 72 runs. However, Dhoni and Jayawardene turned the game around, adding 218 runs for the sixth wicket. Dhoni hit 15 fours and five sixes in his 144-minute innings. Africa XI fought hard but ended up with 318-7. Dhoni was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten century and three stumpings.
| Rank | Runs | Balls | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 96 | 106 | England | Jamshedpur | April 2006 |
| 4 | 88* | 95 | Sri Lanka | Brisbane | February 2008 |
| 3 | 79 | 88 | Australia | Chennai | September 2017 |
| 2 | 84* | 89 | New Zealand | Napier | March 2009 |
| 1 | 139* | 97 | Africa XI | Chennai | June 2007 |
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