On September 14, 2007, Mahendra Singh Dhoni made his captaincy debut for Team India in the ICC T20 World Cup against arch-rivals Pakistan. India tied the match despite posting 141/9 in 20 overs, but won the match in a bowl-out. Dhoni’s first outing as captain was a success, as the young Men in Blue went on to win the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup, defeating Pakistan in the final by five runs. Dhoni’s cool composure, trust in his young team, and his unconventional decisions, such as giving Joginder Sharma the final over of the match despite his recent struggles, set the tone for his successful captaincy career. Under his captaincy, India won the ICC Cricket World Cup after 28 years in 2011, the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013, and the Asia Cup in 15 years, back in 2010. Dhoni was the star of the 2011 World Cup final, scoring 91* and hitting the winning six. He is widely regarded as India’s most successful captain, and his calm demeanour and ability to make tough decisions under pressure were key to his success. From working as a ticket collector at a railway station, MS was India’s ‘Trophy Collector’, winning trophies with ease and confidence never seen before in an Indian captain. Dhoni’s calmness, unconditional trust in youngsters, positivity, and willingness to take risks were some of the hallmarks of his successful captaincy. He played a key role in shaping the careers of many young players, including Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja. Dhoni is the only captain to have won all major ICC trophies, and he also led India to the top of the Test rankings in 2009. Dhoni led India in 60 Tests as captain, winning 27, losing 18, and drawing 15. His win percentage of 45.00% was the highest for an Indian captain at that time. He scored 3,454 runs as captain in 60 matches at an average of 40.63, with five centuries and 24 fifties in 96 innings. His best score as captain was 224. He also led India in 200 ODI matches. Out of these, he won 110, lost 74, tied five and 11 ended in no-result. His win percentage of 55.00 per cent makes him one of the best ODI captains ever. Dhoni led India in 72 T20Is, winning 41 of them, losing 28, tying one and two ended in a no-result. He has a win percentage of 56.94.
Overall, Dhoni led India in 332 matches, the most by a captain in international cricket. Out of these, he won 178, lost 120, tied six and 15 ended in a no-result. His win percentage as a captain is 53.61. This combined with the trophies he has won, makes him India’s most successful captain ever.
