MS Dhoni – the unbeatable captain

MS Dhoni from India has his name registered in cricket history books for becoming the only captain to win the ICC T20, the World Cup and the Champions Trophy.

Team India beat England by a narrow margin of five runs in the final of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 23, 2013. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the proud skipper to receive the glittering prize and that was the last edition of the ICC Champions Trophy. It was inaugurated in 1998 and the matches of the Knockout tournament were hosted in Bangladesh. The events were held in the year 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2013 was the last edition. The ICC has decided to close the chapter of the Champions Trophy so MS Dhoni has become the only captain who has the three crowns under his belt after grasping it.

The ICC World Twenty20 which is also known as T20 World Cup or ICC World T20 was inaugurated in 2007 in South Africa. India lifted the coveted Trophy while beating their arch rivals Pakistan under the leadership of Dhoni. The Blue Shirts triumphed in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, by a huge margin of six wickets against Sri Lanka on April 2, 2011, at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Dhoni led his country to glory once again in that format of the game after Kapil Dev lifted the cup on June 25, 1983, at Lords’, London.

Below, we will summarise the highlights of all three finals where MS Dhoni lifted his side to the horizons of cricket.

1-     ICC World Twenty20, 2007-08 final

Played against Pakistan on September 24, 2007, at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Rival captain – Shoaib Malik

Toss – India

Scores

India – 5-157 in 20 overs, Gautam Gambhir 75 (54b 8×4 2×6), Rohit Sharma 30* (16b 2×4 1×6), Umar Gul 3-28, Mohammad Asif 1-25.

Pakistan – 152 all out in 19.3 overs, Misbah-ul-Haq 43 (38b 4×6), Imran Nazir 33 (14b 4×4 2×6), Younis Khan 24 (24b 4×4), Irfan Pathan 3-16, RP Singh 3-26.

Player of the match – Irfan Pathan (India)

Player of the series – Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)

Result – India won by five runs.

1-     ICC Cricket World Cup, 2010-11 final

Played vs. Sri Lanka on April 2, 2011, at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Rival captain – Kumar Sangakkara

Toss – Sri Lanka

Scores

Sri Lanka – 6-274 in 50 overs, Mahela Jayawardene 103* (88b 13×4), Sangakkara 48 (67b 5×4), Tillakaratne Dilshan 33 (49b 3×4), Yuvraj Singh 2-49, Zaheer Khan 2-60.

India – 4-277 in 48.2 overs, Gautam Gambhir 97 (122b 9×4), MS Dhoni 91* (79b 8×4 2×6), Virat Kohli 35 (49b 4×4), Lasith Malinga 2-42, Dilshan 1-27.

Player of the match – MS Dhoni (India)

Player of the series – Yuvraj Singh (India)

Result – India won by six wickets.

2-     2013 ICC Champions Trophy final

Played against England at Edgbaston, Birminham, on June 23, 2013

Rival captain – Alastair Cook

Toss – England

Scores (20 overs game due weather)

India – 7-129 in 20 overs, Virat Kohli 43 (34b 4×4 1×6), Ravindra Jadeja 33* (25b 2×4 2×6), Shikhar Dhawan 31 (24b 2×4 1×6), Ravi Bopara 3-20, James Anderson 1-24.

England – 8-124 in 20 overs, Eoin Morgan 33 (30b 3×4 1×6), Ravi Bopara 30 (25b 2×6), Jonathan Trott 20 (17b 2×4), Ravichandran Ashwin 2-15, Jadeja 2-24.

Player of the match – Ravindra Jadeja (India)

Player of the series – Shikhar Dhawan (India)

Result – India won by five runs.

MS Dhoni has transformed team India into a strong unit and they can win a few more tournaments under his captaincy until he calls it a day from this glorious game.