MS Dhoni over the years: The remarkable journey from 2004-2018 in pictures

The century at Faisalabad made him a Test regular

Dhoni’s swashbuckling batting style, as well as his golden locks, became a rage with the country. However, sterner tests awaited him, as he embarked on his first tour to Pakistan with the team after being included in both the ODI and Test squads.

All remaining doubts (if any) over his batting effectiveness were quashed when he tore into the Pakistani attack in his first innings on their soil, scoring a remarkable 148 at Faisalabad at close to a run-a-ball. Epic run chases in the ODIs, with Yuvraj Singh for company, enhanced his reputation further. He also reached the No.1 spot in the ODI rankings for batsmen. A sensation had well and truly arrived.

One of the lowest points of his career came early, one that Dhoni himself admits completely changed him. A star-studded Indian side crashed out of the 2007 World Cup, losing to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to complete an ignominious exit. The whole nation was shaken. Desperate measures had to be taken to shape the future.

The selectors pulled a rabbit out of the hat by making Dhoni the captain of a rookie India side that was selected for the inaugural World T20. With no pressure on his shoulders, Dhoni went on to take the side all the way, beating arch-rivals Pakistan by a narrow margin in the finals. His unconventional bowling choices and quirky fielding positions stole the show.

Not many fancied Team India to win the inaugural World T20

A series win against Australia in the CB series followed, quickly helping the side recover from the acrimonious Test tour that featured the monkeygate. For several months, Dhoni also held the top spot in the ICC batsmen rankings, garnering runs all over the world.

It was clear that Dhoni’s impact on the team was increasing with each passing series, and he was the ideal successor to Anil Kumble as the Test captain.