5 records MS Dhoni can break before he retires

There is no doubt that MS Dhoni is the king of Indian cricket. The genius from Ranchi cemented his place in the Indian team as a flamboyant batsman in 2004-05. His masterful captaincy lead India to the World Cup victories of 2007 and 2011, therefore, confirming his legacy as India’s greatest players.

However, there are a few elusive numbers that still evade MS Dhoni. The champion glovesman will have a shot at them until the unfortunate day of his retirement arrives. As per ICC’s Future Tours Programme, India is scheduled to play a minimum 33 of ODIs and 11 T20Is by the end of the World Cup 2019 in England. Here are five records that MS Dhoni can break before he retires.

In 2014, MS Dhoni retired from the longest format of the game in a bid to concentrate on limited overs cricket. Playing in ODIs and T20Is over the years, MSD with his super-fast skills behind the stumps has amassed incredible numbers. He is a record-holder in almost all aspects of wicket-keeping.

(All statistics as on 22nd September 2018)

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#1 The Most number of dismissals in ODIs by a wicket-keeper

The most important metric when it comes to the wicket-keeper is that of the number of dismissals effected. It takes into account all the catches and stumpings taken over the course of the innings. The tally is then added to have a cumulative number of dismissals.

Currently, the record-holder is Kumar Sangakkara from Sri Lanka. The prolific run-getter gave up keeping in Test cricket to concentrate more on his batting, but he was the glovesman for the majority of his ODI career. In 353 innings, Sangakkara completed 482 dismissals which include 383 catches and 99 stumpings.

MS Dhoni, over the course of his 14-year career, has accumulated 414 dismissals with 305 catches and 109 stumpings. To overhaul Sangakkara’s tally, MSD will need to effect 69 more dismissals in rest of his career. If he continues at the current rate, he will require 53 more matches go past the tally.

#2 The Most number of catches in ODIs

Dismissals of the wicket-keeper include both catches and stumpings. MS Dhoni with his lightning quick speed is already the king of stumpings, and he is the leader with 109 stumpings. However, MSD lags by a margin when it comes to taking most catches behind the wickets.

Australian legend Adam Gilchrist tops the tally with 417 catches from only 281 innings. South Africa’s Mark Boucher stands second with 402 catches while Kumar Sangakkara from Sri Lanka has captured 383 catches. MS Dhoni is fourth on the list with 305 catches from 319 innings.

To become the number one catcher, MS Dhoni must complete another 113 catches. With the Indian bowling attack peaking at its best, the keeper can hope for multiple catches coming his way to ultimately retire as the greatest behind the stumps in the 50-over format.

#3 The Most Capped Player in T20Is

MS Dhoni was renowned as the aggressive high-flying batsman in limited overs cricket before the 2007 T20I World Cup in South Africa. After the spectacular win, the perspective towards the wicket-keeper changed, and he became Captain Cool as we know today.

Dhoni then became a legend in T20 cricket, as his incredible popularity with Chennai Super Kings suggests. However, there is an elusive record which is running away from MS Dhoni. Currently, Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik is the most experienced player in T20I cricket with 103 matches.

India’s wicket-keeper is not far behind. Dhoni has represented India in T20Is 93 times. Only Shahid Afridi (99 matches) and Shoaib Malik are in front of him. With Afridi retired, Only Malik stays ahead of MS Dhoni. It will be a race between two giants, and the record will be unsettled until one of them retires.

#4 The Most Capped Wicket-keeper in ODIs

Sachin Tendulkar’s record of playing in 463 ODIs may survive for the ages to come but MS Dhoni will have a realistic chance of ending up as the most capped wicket-keeper in the history of ODI cricket.

The current record belongs to Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, who has represented his nation in gloves for 360 matches. Sangakkara’s career spanned over 15 years and he kept wickets on 360 occasions while he took the field without gloves in 44 ODIs.

MS Dhoni is second on the all-time list with his 324 appearances in the 50-over format. The Indian legend needs to play only 37 more ODIs to overhaul Sangakkara’s tally. If MSD continues to play till the 2019 World Cup, he will automatically end up at the top.

#5 Only ODI batsman to score 10,000-plus runs and average 50-plus

The record that will be the most valuable feather in MS Dhoni’s studded cap. Currently, only 12 batsmen have scored more than 10,000 runs in ODI cricket with MSD being the most recent entrant. Spectacularly, he is the only batsman to average more than 50 in that list.

Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the greatest ODI batsman of all time, averages 44.83 with the bat but has played 139 more ODIs than Dhoni. With 10,079 runs from 276 innings that include 78 not outs, MS Dhoni averages 50.90.

The only threat as of now for MS Dhoni is from the current superstar Virat Kohli. The current Indian captain is just 221 runs away from completing 10,000 runs in the ODIs and his current batting average is an unbelievable 58.20.