Top 10 cricket records held by MS Dhoni that still stand: Which one is the most unbreakable?

Very few cricketers have left a legacy as remarkable and significant as MS Dhoni, who has always been renowned for his calm leadership, lightning-fast wicket-keeping, and unmatched ability to finish the game. The former Indian captain redefined what it would mean to lead a team under pressure. 

More than a decade after several of his greatest achievements, many of his records continue to stand tall in the list. From lifting every major ICC white-ball trophy as the leader of the blue brigade to his lightning-fast stumpings, Dhoni has shown his class in every aspect of the game.

The veteran, based on his calmness under pressure, tactical brilliance, and the skill to finish the games, made himself a once-in-a-generation player, whose influence in the game went far beyond the statistics.

Top 10 cricket records held by MS Dhoni that still stand

Some records can easily be broken within a few seasons, while others survive for decades. Dhoni’s achievements belong strongly in the second category. Whether it’s his unmatched success as the Indian captain with significant wicket-keeping numbers, or his consistency in the limited-overs game, each record tells a story of how he has delivered on the biggest stages.

Here are the top 10 cricket records held by Dhoni that still stand. From the captaincy milestones to astonishing skills in stumping, let’s revisit the unique records that define his greatness-

#10 Best batting average in ODIs during successful run-chases-

Dhoni was always known for his incredible ability to bat under pressure, especially in the chases. The wicket-keeper batter has smashed 2876 runs in 75 innings of the run-chases at an average of 102.71 with 20 half-centuries and two centuries at the best score of unbeaten 183 runs.

He is the only batter to have a batting average of more than 100 in the successful run chases among those who have collected more than 2500 runs in the list. Dhoni has a strike rate of 88 in this aspect. Virat Kohli is second on the list with an average of 89.08 for his 6235 runs in successful run chases in the ODIs.

#9 Most not-outs in ODI cricket-

Dhoni is overall the 12th leading run-getter in the 50-over format. The Ranchi-born has smacked 10773 runs in 297 innings at an average of more than 50 and a strike rate of 87.56, shouldering 10 centuries and 73 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 183 runs. These records have come while playing for both the national side and Asia.

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The 45-year-old has remained undefeated 84 times in this format, which remains a testament to his finishing ability in this format. His 84 unbeaten ODI innings will always remain unmatched.

#8 Most ODI matches as wicket-keeper for India-

MS Dhoni holds the record for featuring in the most ODI matches as the designated wicket-keeper batter of the side for India. He played in 347 games in the 50-over format as the wicket-keeper and smashed 10599 runs in those games at an average of 50.23 and a strike rate of 87.13 with the help of nine centuries and 73 fifties at the best score of 183*.

Dhoni is well ahead of Nayan Mongia, who played in 140 matches as the wicket-keeper-batter for the blue brigade. Meanwhile, in terms of the overall record, he is only behind Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, who played in 353 matches of the 50-over format.

The former Sri Lanka captain smashed 13082 runs in 333 innings of this category at an average of 43.75, thanks to his 23 centuries and 88 half-centuries.

#7 Most stumpings in international cricket-

Dhoni also holds the record for the most stumpings across the three formats of the game. In international cricket, the wicket-keeper has dismissed 195 batters in 608 innings, which stands at the top by a massive margin from the second-ranked Sangakkara, who has a dismissal-per-innings ratio of 1.363.

See Also: Complete list of Indian captains who have won a Test match at Lord's

Dhoni has a total of 829 dismissals across the three formats of the game, which are divided into 634 catches and 195 stumpings. He was always a bank behind the stumps and a blessing for the spinners, who wanted some guidance from behind the stumps whenever they were getting smashed around the park.

#6 Most matches as the captain of the Indian side in ODIs-

Dhoni has led the Indian side on most occasions in ODIs. He was the captain of the blue brigade in 200 50-over matches, the most for the two-time World Cup champions, ahead of Mohammad Azharuddin, who has captained them in 174 matches. In those 200 matches, Dhoni scored 6641 runs at an average of 53.55 with six centuries and 47 fifties.

Dhoni’s 200 matches as the captain of the 50-over format are ahead of the two other leaders, Australia’s Ricky Ponting in 230 matches and New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming, who led the side in 218 games of the format.

#5 Fastest player to become ICC No. 1 batter in ODIs-

When the Ranchi-born broke into the national team in 2004 with his debut game being against Bangladesh, few could have expected just how the then 23-year-old would go on to redefine the role of wicket-keeper batter, besides contributing for the Indian side in the top order. 

The captain of the Indian side at the time, Sourav Ganguly, decided to promote Dhoni to three despite his poor start to his international career. Getting the promotion against Pakistan in April 2005, he lit up the stage with a blistering knock of 148 runs off 123 balls.

And the results started to come as Dhoni reached the number one ODI batting ranking in just his 40th ODI, a record that still stands.

#4 Highest individual ODI score by a wicket-keeper-

Dhoni holds the record for the highest individual score of unbeaten 183 runs as the designated wicket-keeper batter of the side. He smashed that knock in 2005 against Sri Lanka at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, shouldering 15 boundaries and 10 sixes during the chase.

See Also: Top 10 Greatest ODI Batters — Ranked and Debated

Dhoni, during his early years, showed how he could be the answer to India’s issue at the top order, besides wearing the wicket-keeping gloves and doing the dual work. He has the sheer ability and power to smash the big shots around the park.

#3 First Player to Score 10,000+ ODI Runs at an Average Above 50

Dhoni became the first cricketer to cross the 10000-run mark in ODIs while maintaining a batting average of more than 50. He celebrated his 10000th run in the 50-over format during the second 50-over clash between India and England at the Lord’s ground in 2018.

The Ranchi-born reached the historic milestone with a single off the right-arm pacer, Liam Plunkett, in the 43rd over, becoming the 12th player overall and the fourth Indian player to achieve the feat. The former captain has been superb in the batting department over the years, especially in the lower order.

#2 Most stumpings in ODI cricket-

Dhoni sits at the top of the table with the highest number of stumpings in the 50-over format. He has been superb behind the stumps, and he has shown that it’s all about the mindset and finding different ways to gain success in this department of the game.

The wicket-keeper batter has never done the keeping based on any rule books. He has done that only based on his own technique. Dhoni has a margin of 24 more stumpings than the second-ranked Sangakkara in the 50-over format of the game.

#1 Only captain to win all three ICC trophies of the game-

This is the record that will be the hardest for anyone to break. Dhoni is the only captain to win all three ICC trophies of the game. He won the T20 World Cup 2007, where they beat Pakistan in the final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

Four years later, Dhoni led a side with a mixture of youth and experience to the ODI World Cup 2011 trophy to end the 28-year drought of winning an ICC trophy, when they beat Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

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Finally, they won the Champions Trophy under his leadership in 2013, beating England in the final at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Few captains have the combination of a T20 WC or Champions Trophy and the Champions Trophy or the ODI WC, but none has won all three together.

Top 10 cricket records held by MS Dhoni that still stand- FAQs