M S D - The Legend.

“Dhoni finishes off in style! A magnificent strike into the crowd. India lifts the World Cup after 28 years! The party’s started in the dressing room and it’s an Indian captain who’s been absolutely magnificent in the night of the final!” – You are a true cricket fan if you read this in Ravi Shastri's voice. No one can forget this magical moment that happened on the 2Nd of April, 2011. The tears streaming down the cheeks, the happiness in my eyes and the pride in my heart. At the age of 11, I had become a fan of Dhoni forever.

Born in Ranchi in a middle class family, Dhoni had an outstanding journey to become what he is today. The cheers of “Mahi maarraha hai” that were heard on a school ground were again heard 15 years later in Stadiums. Even after not being selected against players of A-tier states, he continued to pursue his dream through the Railways Ranji Team where he was working as a ticket collector in Kharagpur station. Though, the start of his career was inauspicious, Dhoni later turned out to be one of the best players in the world.

The world got to know his true potential when he scored 148 in the fifth ODI played against Pakistan and the unforgettable 183* in Jaipur against Sri Lanka. As his batting skill improved, his wicket keeping skills reached heights too. After he gained Captaincy, the Indian Cricket Team prospered throughout the world. Under his captaincy, the team won several home series against Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. India won the T20 World championship in 2007, ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 and the most priceless, 2011 World Cup.

Not only in International format but also in IPL, Dhoni is ranked one of the top players. His team Chennai Super kings has lifted the IPL title thrice ( 2010, 2011 and 2018) and is the only team that has been qualified into the play offs for all the 10 years that it has existed. They have also made a record of the most entries into the finals (8 out of 10) making them one of the most successful franchises in the IPL.

When I die, the last thing I want to see is the six that Dhoni hit in the 2011 World Cup - Sunil Gavaskar

As a senior player of the team now, Dhoni knows the game very well. He knows how the game goes and plays it by his rules. Mr. Captain Cool who almost never loses his cool, has the gift to remain calm and poised even under maximum pressure. That’s the secret to his success, he knows how to manipulate the opposite team and get his team closer to success. “Dhoni is the cleverest captain I’ve ever seen” said Kevin Pietersen once and we cannot deny it. Dhoni makes his strategies of winning way ahead of time and no matter what happens, he remains calm because he knows his team is going to win at the end.

I will pay to watch MS Dhoni bat - Adam Gilchrist

At the age of 37, even when people criticize him and ask for him to retire, everyone knows that without a brain like Dhoni, India’s victory can be a little difficult. Even at this age, Dhoni runs like a horse, hits like an elephant and stumps at the blink of an eye. No one can beat the lightening stumping of this man and what a finisher! The West Indian legend, Ian Bishop says, “If 15 runs are needed off the last over, the pressure is on the bowler, not on Dhoni” and who can argue?