MS Dhoni is one of the finest captains India has ever begotten and he wasn’t just Captain Cool but his batting and wicket-keeping flair made him one of the best cricketers the sport has ever seen. He holds enviable records which still remains intact despite vehement attempts by his parallels.
One of those insane records held by India’s captain cool is his astonishing batting prowess as a skipper. Usually coming at number 5 or 6, it is not easy to boast an average of 50 consistently over the years. This is exactly what Dhoni has achieved to pen this record.
He is the only captain who has chronicled an ODI average of 50+ in six different calendar years. The years are 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
His batting improved considerably after he was shouldered with the onus of leadership. Not only did he gain confidence from spearheading India to glory in the 2007 T-20 World Cup, but he developed himself more as an anchor rather than being the big-hitter.
Adhering to his stance of attacking cricket, Dhoni shortly was gaining significant popularity as a finisher. With Kohli still to appear down the pike, Dhoni had to take a lot on his shoulder to bail India out of several mishaps.
In 2011, despite being a constant flop in the World Cup, Dhoni played a pivotal role in the final, partnering with Gambhir and Yuvraj to help Indian snuff out their 28-year wait for the second World Cup.
His batting song continued after the World Cup as his heroics helped India to excel in the imminent Asia Cup and also lift the ICC Champions Trophy.
With 10,000 ODI runs from 350 appearances, Dhoni’s entire batting average in the shorter format of the game is 50.53. His individual highest of 183 not out against Sri Lanka was an innings of class which was simply the herald of the greatness that was to come in the near offing.
