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OTD: When MS Dhoni Fell For A Forgetful Duck On His International Debut In 2004

Soumyajit Dutta∙ Updated: Dec 23 2024, 11:59 AM

MS Dhoni made his international debut on December 23, 2004 [Source: @saravana_s_v/X.com]MS Dhoni made his international debut on December 23, 2004 [Source: @saravana_s_v/X.com]

"Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts." Winston Churchill's famous saying is what resonates throughout the Indian cricket veteran, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's life. The Ranchi-born did not have the best of starts to his career in his debut match that took place exactly 20 years ago, today, on December 23, 2004. 

Anyone, of a sane mentality would like to forget the debut inning that MS Dhoni had. The CSK mega-star was just dismissed for a duck in the first ball and that too out of sheer luck!

The Match That Introduced Dhoni To The World

Dhoni made his international debut at the age of 23 against Bangladesh in Chattogram, in the first match of the 3-match affair. India came in to bat first where the very prominent and reliable 'Dada', aka, the skipper, Sourav Ganguly, was sent out for a duck. 'Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar was also sent for a mere 19 runs. It was Rahul Dravid's half-ton and Mohammad Kaif's gritty anchoring knock that helped India get back the momentum in the match. 

In the late overs, the Bangladesh pacers became tricky to handle as they scalped Dravid and Sridharan Sriram in quick succession. After Sridharan, a long-haired young boy stepped onto the ground with his eyes filled with dreams, only to meet his agonizing fate on the very first ball. 

As he walked in, there was no cheer from the crowd, no hoots of 'Thala' roaring through the stadium. MS Dhoni was just an average Indian cricketer who wanted to make a difference in the match with his knock. Who knew he would achieve that feat and receive such love from fans years later after his tragic dismissal in his debut?

As he came on strike, Mohammad Rafique placed a full length delivery which Dhoni flicked off to the fine leg region. After deciding on a run, Dhoni stepped out of the crease and ran halfway. However, Kaif stopped him mid-way signalling that the fielder has got hold of the ball early. Alas! it was too late for MS Dhoni as he couldn't reach back into the crease. He felt hopeless jogging back as the keeper shattered the stumps along with his dream to debut with a stellar inning.

India won that match by 11 runs and probably forgot Dhoni's contributions as he couldn't make a mark in the rest of the series. He only made 12 and 7 runs in the next two ODIs. However, what started with a shattered dream led to the rise of a legend who breaks stumps like a walk in the park. 

MS Dhoni's Stellar Career

Behind the stumps, Dhoni remains a master tactician and a lightning-fast wicketkeeper who has been known for his unconventional keeping methods. He recorded 256 catches and 38 stumpings in ODIs, 444 dismissals (321 catches and 123 stumpings) in Tests, and 91 dismissals (57 catches and 34 stumpings) in T20Is.

The 43-year-old also leaves his legacy of unparalleled success as a captain. 'Captain Cool' led India to victory in all three major ICC trophies: the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Under his leadership, India also ascended to the pinnacle of the ICC Test rankings.

Dhoni's impact extended to franchise cricket as well. He guided the Chennai Super Kings to unprecedented success in the Indian Premier League, leading them to 10 IPL finals and an impressive five championships. 

Dhoni fans are still excited as CSK retained him for INR 4 crore for the upcoming season and it is only a few months time when Dhoni steps in Chepauk with a bat in his hand and the soundtrack 'Hukum' roars along with the crowd throughout the stadium.