Indian cricket supporters were disappointed by Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid’s departure from the captaincy position because they believed that Indian cricket would suffer when both legendary captains retired. However, that was the beginning of the greatest period for the Indian cricket team, and MS Dhoni deserves all the credit for that.
MS Dhoni is also known as “Captain Cool” because of his calm and composed approach on the field. He is frequently praised for his ability to act quickly and retain composure under pressure. This trait was shown in the 2007 World T20 final, where he struck the winning runs, and in the 2011 World Cup final, where he stayed cool and calm in batting which led India to victory.
Most Indian cricket fans compare the captaincy records of Kohli and Dhoni; some believe Dhoni to be the best, while others believe Kohli to be the best. In fact, both individuals contributed significantly to the history of Indian cricket because of their exceptional leadership abilities. Both led the Indian team to a new path entirely different from the one set by past captains Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, and Azharuddin.
| Captaincy Period | Captaincy Started 2007- Captaincy Ended 2018 |
| Previous Captain | Rahul Dravid |
| Next Captain | Virat Kohli |
| Key Achievements | Winning Captain World Cup 2011, 2013 Champions Trophy, 2007 T20 World Cup, Asia Cup 2010, Only Captain to win all ICC events. |
MS Dhoni Over All Captaincy Records in International Cricket
MS Dhoni led Team India in 332 matches across all formats in international matches, winning 178 and losing 120. His win-to-loss ratio is 1.4, which is the highest among all other captains.
| Matches | Won | Win Percentage | Lost | Tied | Draw | N/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 332 | 178 | 53 | 120 | 06 | 15 | 13 |
MS Dhoni Captaincy Records in Test Cricket
MS Dhoni led team India in 60 test matches, winning 27 and losing 18 with a win percentage of 45.
| Matches | Won | Win Percentage | Lost | Draw |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 27 | 45 | 18 | 15 |
Regarding most test wins, Virat Kohli ranked number one in test cricket for India with 40 test wins, while MS Dhoni is number 02. Rohit Sharma could break these records if he consistently performs well as a captain of India.
Test Series India Won Under MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni led India in 23 series, winning 12 and losing 07 series. Only 04 test series ended in a draw.
- At home, India played 12 test series under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, winning 09 and losing only 01 series. This only series loss at home came against England team in 2012.
- Outside India, MS Dhoni led India in 11 test series winning only 03 while losing 06. Only 02 series ended in a draw.
Yearly Captaincy Record in Test Cricket
We can see from the stats below that year 2010 was very successful for MS Dhoni, where he won 07 out of 13 test matches for India. While the year 2014 was the least successful when he lost 08 matches out of a total 09 as a test captain for India. This was the time when he decided to quit captaincy. This decision was not based on pressure from BCCI or fans but to allow Young captain Virat Kohli who will prove himself in the coming years. This demonstrates MS Dhoni’s rare leadership ability.
| Year | Matches | Won | Lost | Draw |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 05 | 04 | – | 01 |
| 2009 | 05 | 03 | – | – |
| 2010 | 13 | 07 | 03 | 03 |
| 2011 | 12 | 03 | 05 | 01 |
| 2012 | 08 | 03 | 04 | 01 |
| 2013 | 08 | 06 | 01 | 01 |
| 2014 | 09 | 01 | 05 | 01 |
Test Batting Stats as Captain Vs Player
We can conclude from the stats that MS Dhoni’s captain performance was much more impressive than as a player. He had various roles as a captain, but the most crucial was a game finisher. Further, He still has the record for most not out in cricket history and the highest dismissal as a wicketkeeper.
| As Captain | Player | |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 60 | 30 |
| Innings | 96 | 48 |
| Runs | 3454 | 1442 |
| 100s | 05 | 0 |
| 50s | 24 | 09 |
| HS | 224 | 148 |
| Avg. | 41 | 33 |
MS Dhoni Captaincy Records in ODI Matches
MS Dhoni led India in 200 ODI matches, the most of any captain to have led Team India in ODI cricket. Out of a total of 200, team India won 100 and lost 74 with a win percentage of 55. He has the most wins as an ODI captain when we compare his record with Azharuddin, Virat Kohli, and Sourav Ganguly.
| Matches | Won | Winning Percentage | Lost | Tied/NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | 110 | 55 | 74 | 05/11 |
ODI Series Won by India Won Under MS Dhoni Captaincy
During MS Dhoni’s captaincy, India’s ODI team was known for its strong batting lineup and consistent performances. This led to some of the most significant achievements in ODI cricket. Team India played 28 bilateral ODI series under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, winning 18 and losing 10.
Yearly Captaincy Record in ODI
One of the most successful years of MS Dhoni as an ODI captain was in 2015 and 2011 when he won most of his ODI matches as a captain of India.
His least successful year was 2009 when team India lost 10 out of 29 matches played in that year.
| Year | Matches | Won | Lost | N/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 12 | 05 | 06 | 01 |
| 2008 | 29 | 19 | 08 | 02 |
| 2009 | 29 | 15 | 10 | 04 |
| 2010 | 18 | 11 | 07 | – |
| 2011 | 24 | 14 | 07 | 02 |
| 2012 | 16 | 09 | 06 | 01 |
| 2013 | 26 | 15 | 09 | 02 |
| 2014 | 12 | 05 | 06 | 01 |
| 2015 | 20 | 10 | 09 | 01 |
| 2016 | 13 | 07 | 06 | – |
| 2018 | 01 | – | – | 01 |
ODI Batting Stats as Captain Vs Player
As a captain, MS Dhoni has played 200 ODI matches, scoring 6641 runs at an average of 53. His highest score as a captain is 139, and he has hit 06 centuries and 47 half-centuries.
MS Dhoni has played 150 ODI matches as a player, scoring 4132 runs at an average of 53. His highest score as a player is 183, and he has hit 04 centuries and 26 half-centuries.
| As Captain | AS Player | |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 200 | 150 |
| Innings | 172 | 125 |
| Runs | 6641 | 4132 |
| 100s | 06 | 04 |
| 50s | 47 | 26 |
| HS | 139 | 183 |
| Avg. | 54 | 46 |
It’s important to note that his statistics as a leader and a player are comparable because he captained India for a long time.
MS Dhoni Captaincy Records in T20I
In T20I, MS Dhoni-led team India in 34 matches, winning 16 and losing 17 matches. His win percentage is 56, which is one of the best among all Indian T20 captains, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya.
| Matches | Won | Win % | Lost | Tied/NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 41 | 56 | 28 | 01/02 |
Yearly Captaincy Record in T20I
In T20I cricket, his most successful year as an Indian captain was 2016, when he won 15 out of 21 matches, while his least successful year was 2009 when he managed to win only 04 out of 10 T20I.
| Year | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 08 | 05 | 01 | 01 |
| 2008 | 01 | – | 01 | – |
| 2009 | 10 | 04 | 06 | – |
| 2010 | 05 | 02 | 03 | – |
| 2011 | 03 | 01 | 02 | – |
| 2012 | 14 | 08 | 06 | – |
| 2013 | 01 | 01 | – | – |
| 2014 | 07 | 05 | 02 | – |
| 2015 | 02 | 0 | 02 | – |
| 2016 | 21 | 15 | 05 | 01 |
MS Dhoni Runs as Captain and Player in T20I
- As a captain, MS Dhoni has played 72 T20I matches, scoring 1112 runs at an average of 37. His highest score as a captain is 48 has a strike rate of 122.
- As a player, MS Dhoni has played 26 T20I matches, scoring 505 runs at an average of 38. His highest score as a player is 56* and he has hit 2 half-centuries.
| As Captain | AS Player | |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 72 | 26 |
| Innings | 62 | 23 |
| Runs | 1112 | 505 |
| 100s | 0 | 0 |
| 50s | 0 | 02 |
| HS | 48 | 56 |
| Avg. | 38 | 39 |
MS Dhoni Captaincy Record in India and Overseas
MS Dhoni is the most successful captain in India, with a win rate of more than 50 percent across all formats. His greatest accomplishment at home was the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup victory, in which he had a fantastic bat performance.
He has the most wins at a home venue across all formats, with 74 total wins in 123 matches. On this list of wins, the second number is Virat Kohli, with 61 wins in 89 matches in India.
| Matches | Won | Win % | Lost | Draw/NR | |
| Test | 30 | 21 | 70 | 03 | 06 |
| ODI | 73 | 43 | 58 | 26 | 03 |
| T20I | 20 | 10 | 50 | 10 | – |
| Total | 123 | 74 | 59 | 39 | 06/03 |
In Overseas, Dhoni led India in 139 matches, winning 58 and losing 64 with a win rate of 41 percent. In terms of stats, Kohli is the most successful Indian captain, with a win percentage of 58 across all formats for team India.
| Matches | Won | Win % | Lost | Draw/NR | |
| Test | 30 | 06 | 20 | 15 | 09 |
| ODI | 86 | 39 | 45 | 39 | 02/06 |
| T20I | 23 | 13 | 56 | 10 | – |
| Total | 139 | 58 | 41 | 64 | 11/06 |
MS Dhoni Captaincy Record in ICC Tournaments
In ODI World Cup
Dhoni was known for his calm and composed leadership and tactical brilliance during the world cup matches. He was also known for finishing India’s matches, which led to many victories. He utilized these skills to win the 2011 ODI World Cup for India.
- In ODI World Cup 2011, India won 07 out of a total of 09 matches under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.
- In ODI World Cup 2015, India won 07 out of a total of 08 matches under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.
| ODI World Cup | Matches | Won | Lost | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 09 | 07 | 01 | 01 |
| 2015 | 08 | 07 | 01 |
In T20 World Cup
MS Dhoni had an outstanding record in T20 World Cups by winning 20 out of 33 matches with a win percentage of 60. He led India in six T20 World Cups, with only World Cup Victory in 2007 T20 World Cup.
With just one World Cup victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, he captained India in six T20 World Cups from 2007 to 2016.
| T20 World Cup | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied/NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 07 | 04 | 01 | 01/01 |
| 2009 | 05 | 02 | 03 | – |
| 2010 | 05 | 02 | 03 | – |
| 2012 | 05 | 04 | 01 | – |
| 2014 | 06 | 05 | 01 | – |
| 2016 | 05 | 03 | 02 | – |
In Champions Trophy
Under MS Dhoni India played two ICC Champions Trophies i.e 2009 and 2013. Team India won ICC Champions Trophy 2013 by winning all the matches under the leadership of MS Dhoni.
| Champions Trophy | Matches | Won | Lost | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 03 | 01 | 01 | 01 |
| 2013 | 05 | 05 | – | – |
MS Dhoni Captaincy Records Against Opposition
- MS Dhoni won 17 games out of 26 against Pakistan with a winning percentage of 63 and lost only eight games.
- Against Australia, he won 31 games with a winning percentage of 50 and lost 29 games. He did this during the captaincy of the great Ricky Ponting.
Below is a detailed comparison of MS Dhoni’s win against all opposition teams.
MS Dhoni Captaincy Record in IPL
MS Dhoni has scored 2nd highest runs as captain in IPL. He scored 4570 runs for CSK in 211 matches including 22 fifties.
| Captain | Matches | Runs as Captain | H/S | Avg | S/R | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s |
| MS Dhoni | 211 | 4570 | 84* | 40.44 | 136.82 | 0 | 22 | 318 | 209 |
MS Dhoni led two teams in IPL from 2008 to 2023 and holds the record for winning the most matches as captain in IPL. Below are the stats for both teams Chennai Super Kings and Pune Super Giants.
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | W/L |
| Super Kings | 197 | 118 | 78 | 0 | 1 | 1.512 |
| Supergiants | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0.555 |
