92: MS Dhoni

90 Tests. 4,876 runs @ 38.09. 6 hundreds. 256 catches. 38 stumpings.

10 years. 2x good. 1x outstanding.

The discussion

In the pantheon of revered Indian cricketers, Dhoni is well and truly etched on Mount Rushmore — surely one of the four most revered characters in the history of Indian cricket. But it was not always this way. From humble beginnings, Dhoni burst onto the international scene with a technique that was his own and a temperament poised to withstand the barbs and arrows of criticism that surely comes with the job in India.

It is hard to write about MS Dhoni's career and focus on his batting, but here is a quick rundown. For wicketkeepers, an average of 38 or above is excellent. Dhoni averaged 33 under other skippers, but as he matured and made the captaincy his own, his batting blossomed as well — he averages 40 as captain. And while that average doesn’t quite stack up against the pure batters in the Hall of Fame, it compares very favourably against other wicketkeepers. Dhoni qualified as one of the 226 pure batters in my analysis, with 4,876 runs at that average of 38.09, and ranked 192nd in my calculations purely as a batter, which is doubly impressive given that he is one of the only players in the list to bat at number seven or lower on a regular basis (114 of 144 innings). Six Test centuries, including a double hundred, is also an impressive legacy.

Wicketkeepers of course should also be judged on their keeping and, in my mind, Indian wicketkeepers are often underrated when comparing them against international counterparts. Often their technique is maligned as not being as aesthetically pleasing as the Australian or English wicketkeepers. But we need to remember the conditions during their upbringing, and the conditions that they play under. Pitches often turn prodigiously, and even low and slow wickets that do not offer sharp turn provide elements of uneven bounce that make standing up to the stumps a challenge. Given that wicketkeepers in the subcontinent are asked to do the majority of their work against spinners, they require extreme levels of concentration, and the degree of difficulty is very high. MS Dhoni’s 38 stumpings ranks equal third all time, alongside fellow Indian Syed Kirmani and behind only England’s Godfrey Evans (46) and Australia’s Bert Oldfield (52).

As a leader, MS Dhoni was uncompromising, uncomplicated and unflustered. No matter the match situation, nothing ever looked out of reach for a side captained by MSD. His mindset alone has left a legacy that has been inherited by captains since and has culminated in a side that believes it can win any match from any position. Sometimes he was criticised from the outside for being too laid back, too casual, too conservative. But Dhoni knew better than anyone that to get the best out of his players, he had to trust them to come through when it mattered most. Often, they did, but sometimes they did not. His messages in pressure situations and in tight games are famously simple — ‘Enjoy the game’. ‘Trust yourself. I trust you.’ I’ve no doubt Dhoni would make a wonderful leader in the business world if he ever decides to put his mind to it. Those looking to inspire a start-up company need look no further than to MS Dhoni as an example of trusting your charges and making them feel supported and valued.

The verdict

Dhoni’s leadership is the strongest attribute, and his leadership stands out amongst his peers in the Hall of Fame, even considering some of the greatest leaders of cricket sides. Dhoni, for mine, is by far India’s greatest Test captain. I would imagine the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about MS Dhoni are his white-ball record and World Cup exploits. But keep in mind that Dhoni ranks in the top 10 in both Tests as captain, and Test wins as captain. For me his contributions to Test cricket are equally important for India’s subsequent sense of belief and attacking cricket in the Test arena, too.

Rishabh Pant might be Generation Next, but his belief in playing attacking cricket regardless of the game situation has its origins in the mind of MS Dhoni. It was MS who taught India to believe that greatness is possible — a legacy very much carried on by Virat Kohli. Dhoni's legacy is not one of technique or classical style or extreme tidiness behind the stumps. An above average batter, an effective wicketkeeper — these are notable points, but this is not how I remember MS Dhoni’s impact on Indian and world cricket. Instead, he will be remembered as a great leader who inspired the largest cricketing nation to become a powerhouse of the game. As much as I love stats, I firmly believe that Dhoni’s impact stretches way beyond the numbers.

In one word

Inspiration

Bio

Record

Source: ESPN CricInfo

career peak

Sources: ESPN CricInfo, ESPN CricInfo