Top 5 Knocks Of MS Dhoni As CSK Captain

MS Dhoni will not be leading CSK in his possible last IPL season (X.com)MS Dhoni will not be leading CSK in his possible last IPL season (X.com)

If there's any tougher job in the world, it's being the leader, whether in sport or anywhere else. But when it comes to sports, not only one has to put his mind to thinking but one also has to stay physically active as well in order to lead from the front. 

One of the greatest captains in the cricketing world, MS Dhoni has been one of a kind for the Indian team. He is the only Indian captain with three ICC trophies in his cabinet and when it comes to the IPL, he has already won five titles for the Chennai Super Kings. 

Being 42 years old, Dhoni has decided to step down from captaincy and passed the batton to Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was appointed the new CSK leader. Apart from the five IPL titles, Dhoni has hammered over 5,000 runs in his IPL career so far, being one of the best finishers of the Indian Premier League. We at OneCricket, have found some of the best of Dhoni's knocks as the captain of CSK, which will be nothing short of a trip down memory lane for you. 

Let's have a look at the top 5 knocks of MS Dhoni as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings.

5) 51* vs Mumbai Indians, Bangalore, 2012

MS Dhoni scored 51* vs MI (X.com)MS Dhoni scored 51* vs MI (X.com)

The Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings is considered the greatest rivalry in the Indian Premier League. Well, why not? They both are the greatest IPL teams with five titles each. Despite the magnitude and pressure of the game, MS Dhoni led from the front in the must-win eliminator game at Chinnaswamy Stadium. 

Chennai were 95 for three in this epic encounter when Dhoni came to bat. All CSK fans were hoping for a stellar finish from their captain, but he did not upset the fans and hammered 51 runs off just 20 deliveries. This inning of Dhoni consisted of six boundaries and two sixes, which helped CSK to set a decent score of 189.

 

4) 70 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Bangalore, 2018

MS Dhoni scored 70* vs RCB (X.com)MS Dhoni scored 70* vs RCB (X.com)


Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium has been nothing short of a paradise for MS Dhoni. He has been at his best whenever he plays at the den of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team. Bengaluru saw a high-scoring scoring game where over 410 runs were scored and MS Dhoni was adjudged as the Player of the Match. 

RCB posted a mammoth total of 205 runs in the first innings and CSK had to do something extraordinary to pull off this chase. After losing four wickets for just 74 runs, it seemed an impossible win for the Chennai Super Kings, but Dhoni came and conquered. He scored 70 runs off just 34 deliveries, which included seven maximums from his bat and won the game for his team. 

3) 75 vs Rajasthan Royals, Chennai, 2019

MSD scored 75 vs Rajasthan Royals (X.com)MSD scored 75 vs Rajasthan Royals (X.com)

Only a few times we have seen MS Dhoni promoting himself in the IPL and the encounter from the season 2019 between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan was one of them. Chennai were 27 for three and the reason was Jofra Archer's fiery bowling. The Men in Yellow went on to post the target of 175 runs and claimed a win by eight runs. 

Despite being 27 for 3, MS Dhoni brought Chennai back in the game with his 75-run knock which consisted of four boundaries and the same number of big hits at the Chidambaram Stadium. He took just 46 deliveries and helped CSK post a competitive total against the Royals, thus was adjudged as the Player of the Match. 

2) 79 vs Punjab Kings, Mohali, 2018

The CSK skipper slammed 79 vs Punjab Kings (X.com)The CSK skipper slammed 79 vs Punjab Kings (X.com)

Over the years, we have seen how Dhoni excelled in the crunch situations especially while chasing down the targets. Back in 2018, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) posted a good score of 197 runs in the first innings at their home ground in Mohali, with the help of Chris Gayle's fiery 63-run knock in this clash against the Chennai team. 

While chasing the target, CSK already lost three wickets for just 56 runs and were still 141 runs behind. The captain, MS Dhoni came into the middle and hammered 79 runs off just 44 deliveries with the help of six boundaries and five maximums. He almost pulled off the chase but fell four runs short at the end. 


1) 84* vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Bangalore, 2019

MSD's highest score is against RCB (84*) (X.com)MSD's highest score is against RCB (84*) (X.com)

Another clash of the Chennai Super Kings in the Chinnaswamy stadium in 2019, where the fans went bonkers after MS Dhoni's masterclass. While batting first, RCB posted a total of 161 runs with the help of Parthiv Patel's stunning fifty at the top. The chase seemed peanuts with the likes of Shane Watson, Faf, Raina and Rayudu, but it wasn't. 

The Dale Steyn-led pace attack of RCB went nuts in the powerplay and Chennai were 28 for four when Dhoni came out to bat. Not only he had to defend his wicket but also score runs in order to pull off the chase. Dhoni hammered 84 runs, which is his highest score in the IPL career so far and almost won it for Chennai, but RCB claimed the win by just one run and that too with Dhoni unbeaten at the end.