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OTD In 2013: When MS Dhoni Became The First Captain Ever To Win All ICC Titles

Soumyajit Dutta

MS Dhoni lifted the Champions Trophy 2013 [Source: @definitelynot05/X.com]MS Dhoni lifted the Champions Trophy 2013 [Source: @definitelynot05/X.com]

The Birmingham rain wept, the Edgbaston light faded, and 20 chaotic, nerve-shredding overs became the crucible for history. On June 23rd, 2013, amidst the drizzle and the deafening pressure of a T20-sprint Champions Trophy final nobody had planned for, Mahendra Singh Dhoni didn't just win another trophy. 

Captain Cool etched his name onto cricket's eternal pantheon in the quietest, most Dhoni way possible, becoming the first captain in history to win all ICC tournaments.

How Did MS Dhoni & Co. Pull Off The Impossible?

England, chasing a meagre 130, seemed in control. Jonathan Trott fluent, the target shrinking. Then, the spinners wove their magic. Ashwin spun one past Trott, Dhoni's gloves flashed, stumped. Jadeja tightened the screws. Yet, the pendulum swung back. Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara, cool and calculated, steered England towards the precipice of victory. With 28 needed off 18 balls, the unthinkable loomed.

This was where Dhoni, the chess master in pads, made a move that defied logic. He tossed the ball to Ishant Sharma. Ishant, expensive, erratic, seemingly the weakest link. Three overs for 27. A Bopara six had just dented Indian hopes. Logic screamed for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Dhoni whispered to instinct.

The Gambit In The Final Overs 

Ishant's first two balls were wides, heightening the absurdity. Then, the slower ball. Morgan, deceived, skied it to midwicket. Pandemonium. Next ball, short, asking to be hit. Bopara obliged, pulling fiercely, but straight to the solitary square leg fielder Dhoni had placed precisely there moments before. 

Two wickets in two balls. The arena erupted, Ishant Sharma transformed from liability to legend. Jadeja, the tournament's rock, then watched a run-out chance go begging, the tension unbearable.

The Nail-Biting Final Over!

Ashwin bowled the final over. Dhoni, as cool as he can ever be, set an impossible field. Every fielder crowded the off-side. "Clear them if you can," the message screamed. Stuart Broad couldn't. 

A leg-side boundary offered fleeting hope, but the equation remained cruel. Needing 6 off the final ball, James Tredwell could only swing and miss. India had stolen it. By 5 runs. In 20 overs. Defending 129.

Dhoni Etches History As India's Captain!

Amidst the wild celebrations, Mahendra Singh Dhoni allowed himself a rare moment. A fist pump. A look skywards. A smile, tight but radiant. It wasn't the booming six of Mumbai 2011. It was the silent roar of completion. 

The T20 World Cup (2007). The ODI World Cup (2011). Now, the Champions Trophy (2013). MS Dhoni stood alone being the first captain in the history of the game to lift all three ICC major trophies.