Celebrating Captain Cool: 5 incredible records held by MS Dhoni in Test cricket

#2 MS Dhoni has recorded the most dismissals by an Indian wicket-keeper in Test history, as well as in a calendar year

MS Dhoni holds a plethora of wicket-keeping records in the longest format of the game of cricket

Having been behind the stumps around 10 years, it comes as no surprise that MS Dhoni has recorded the most dismissals by an Indian wicket-keeper in Test history. However, the stumper holds a plethora of other keeping records, such as the most dismissals in a calendar year, an innings and a match.

With 294 dismissals in 90 Tests, MS Dhoni is well ahead of second-placed Syed Kirmani, who has 198. The man from Ranchi also recorded 50 dismissals in 2011 in only 12 Test matches, and also holds the 2nd and 3rd places on this list - 48 in 2010 and 44 in 2006.

Interestingly, MS Dhoni shares two keeping records with the legendary 1983 World Cup-winning keeper. Both have affected 38 stumpings in Tests, and both have recorded the most dismissals in an innings with 6.

Note:- Wriddhiman Saha and Rishabh Pant have also recorded 6 dismissals in an innings.

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#1 MS Dhoni was the first Indian captain to take India to No. 1 in the Test rankings

MS Dhoni collects the Test mace after taking India to #1 on the ICC Test rankings

In December 2009, India won a 3-Test series against Sri Lanka to reach the summit of the ICC Test rankings for the first time in their history, led by the mercurial MS Dhoni. The ICC Test Championship had first been introduced in 2001, and for the first 8 years of its existence, it belonged only to heavyweights Australia and South Africa.

After losing the #1 spot due to humiliating overseas defeats to Australia and England, India would reclaim it 7 years later under new captain Virat Kohli. Kohli's new-look national team held the position for 4 years until April 2020, before Tim Paine's Australia scaled the pinnacle of Test cricket's team rankings earlier this year.

However, it was MS Dhoni's astute leadership that paved the way for the current team's success. Although the former skipper didn't have a quality pace attack at his disposal, he managed to get the best out of his spinners to achieve what no Indian captain had before.

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