Stats: MS Dhoni’s outstanding performance as CSK captain. MS Dhoni will make his IPL debut for Chennai Super Kings in 2022.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to four Indian Premier League (IPL) titles, has decided to step down as captain ahead of CSK’s opening match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 15th edition of the IPL. Dhoni has handed over the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja, who was also retained alongside him ahead of the mega auction. MS Dhoni has skipped the CSK franchise since its inception in 2008 and has certainly left a legacy behind him.
MS Dhoni, 40, was one of four players retained by CSK for the IPL 2022 season, along with newly appointed captain Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Moeen Ali. Dhoni captained the Chennai side in 204 matches over 12 seasons, winning 121, losing 82, and drawing one. He has a winning percentage of 59.60 percent, having won four trophies for CSK in the years 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021, second only to Rohit Sharma’s five titles.
Also Visit: Ravi Shastri selects India’s future captain
Most matches as captain in IPL:
Dhoni, the second-most successful skipper in IPL history, amassed 4456 runs as a captain in the tournament. Notably, when CSK was banned, he played two seasons for the Rising Pune Super Giants franchise in 2016 and 2017. While he led the team in 2016, Steve Smith took over as captain for the 2017 season.
In 178 innings as captain, he hit 22 fifties with an average and strike rate of 40.88 and 137.36, respectively, with the highest score of 84*. Dhoni’s runs are also the second-most by an IPL captain, trailing only Virat Kohli’s 4881 runs in the league.
Most runs as captain IPL:
MS Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings to nine IPL Finals.
Notably, Dhoni has led his team to nine IPL finals, a tournament record. In his first season, he led the Chennai-based franchise to the finals, where they were defeated by a Shane Warne-inspired Rajasthan Royals side in the final over. When CSK defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2010 final, Dhoni finally got his hands on the trophy. In 2011, the team also won the cup, making Dhoni the first captain and CSK the first team to win back-to-back IPL titles. CSK was defeated in the finals of the 2012 season by KKR in Chennai. The Men in Yellow were also defeated in the finals in 2013 and 2015, both times by MI.
CSK made a strong comeback after their ban in 2018, winning their third title. In 2019, the team lost in the final to MI for the second time. They won their fourth title last year and are the defending champions in the IPL 2022. Except for the 2020 season, MS Dhoni has led CSK to every IPL play-off. Dhoni will be regarded as the leader with all of CSK’s achievements as the only player with over 150 matches as captain and the skipper with the most wins in the IPL. Notably, Ravindra Jadeja will be CSK’s first full-time skipper after Dhoni, and the team’s third overall.
Also Read: IPL 2022: David Hussey, KKR’s coach, praises captain Shreyas Iyer.