MS Dhoni Retires: How India Moved From Under Achievers To World Beaters

Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has announced his retirement from international cricket. India's most successful captain put up a video of his journey with the Indian team on his Instagram account with the caption: Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout.from 1929 hrs consider me as Retired.

Dhoni's India and Chennai Super Kings teammate Suresh Raina also announced his retirement from international cricket. Dhoni and Raina will continue to play in the Indian Premier League where the former captains Chennai Super Kings.

The 39-year-old was expected to retire from international cricket after the 2020 ICC T20 World Cup which was scheduled be held in Australia from October 18 to November 15, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament has been postponed to 2021.

Dhoni last played for the Indian team in the semi-final match against New Zealand at the 2019 ICC World Cup. The Ranchi-born player retires from national duty with a distinguished career.

Dhoni played in 90 Tests for India scoring 4,876 runs with a highest score of 224. In his 350 One Day International appearances, Dhoni racked up 10,773 at a stunning average of 50.57. Dhoni played 98 T20Is for India scoring 1,617 runs

Dhoni is the only men's captain to have led his team to victory in all three ICC men's tournaments.

After the disastrous 2007 ICC World Cup campaign under Rahul Dravid's captaincy, Dhoni was appointed the captain of a young Indian team which took part in the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup. Dhoni masterminded victories over teams like South Africa and Australia as he led India to a title showdown against rivals Pakistan. In a tense final, Dhoni charged the unheralded Joginder Sharma with the bowling the final over. Sharma repaid Dhoni's trust by disimissing Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-haq. Dhoni became only the second Indian captain to win a cricket world cup of any format after Kapil Dev in 1983.

He became the Indian captain in all three formats following Anil Kumble's retirement in 2008. Under his captaincy, India climbed to the top of the ICC Test Championship rankings ending the legendary Australian team's decade-long dominance. Under his leadership, India won 27 matches, drawing 15 and losing 18. Only Virat Kohli has a better captaincy record than Dhoni for India. Dhoni led India's transition from underachievers to world beaters in the build up to the 2011 World Cup which was co-hosted by India.

Even as India notched convincing wins as they marched on to the final justifying their favourites tag, Dhoni had a sub-par tournament scoring only 150 runs from seven matches. However, Dhoni played a captain's knock in the final rescuing India from a precarious position to clinch India's second ODI World Cup.

With the retirements of India's old guard following the World Cup win, Dhoni set about rebuilding the Indian side forming the core around young players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. His youthful side beat England in the final of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy to make Dhoni the first men's captain to win all three ICC tournaments.

Perhaps after the great Sachin Tendulkar, no other Indian player has been revered and deified as MS Dhoni. Dhoni's tenure as the Indian captain can arguably said to have reshaped the course of world cricket. Before the 2007 T20 World Cup, the BCCI weren't proponents of T20 cricket. However, the stunning win ushered in the age of the IPL and made India the home of cricket. History will tell if Dhoni will go down as the greatest Indian cricketer ever.