MS Dhoni Records That May Never Be Broken in Cricket History
Some MS Dhoni records may stand for years. He kept wickets, finished matches and captained India across formats. Few players will ever do all three for that long.
1. Only Captain to Win All Three ICC Men’s White-Ball Trophies
Dhoni remains the only captain to win all three major ICC men’s white-ball tournaments:
▪ 2007 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
▪ 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup
▪ 2013 ICC Champions Trophy
India won the inaugural T20 World Cup under Dhoni in 2007, followed by the ODI World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013.
A captain cannot achieve this alone. He must stay in charge through several ICC tournaments and have a team capable of winning each one. That is harder now because many countries change captains regularly or use different leaders in different formats.
2. Most International Matches as Captain
Dhoni captained India in 332 international matches:
▪ 60 Tests
▪ 200 ODIs
▪ 72 T20Is
No player has captained a country in more international matches. To pass 332 matches, a player would probably need to captain for close to a decade while remaining fit and keeping his place in all three formats. Many teams now split the captaincy between formats. That makes 332 much harder to reach.
3. Most Stumpings in ODI Cricket
Dhoni completed 123 stumpings in ODIs, the highest total by any wicketkeeper in the format.
He kept his hands close to the stumps and removed the bails almost at once.
To pass 123, a wicketkeeper would need a long ODI career in a team that regularly attacks with spin. He would also have to remain the first-choice keeper for years. Dhoni played 350 ODIs. Few wicketkeepers will play that many.
4. Fastest Player to Reach No.1 in the ODI Batting Rankings
Dhoni reached the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings in only his 40th match. The record still stands. To break it, a batter would have to reach No.1 before completing 40 ODIs. There is almost no room for a slow start or a poor series.
Most players need time to settle into international cricket. Dhoni did not. He had already scored 148 and 183 not out early in his career.
5. Highest ODI Score by a Wicketkeeper
Dhoni scored an unbeaten 183 against Sri Lanka in Jaipur in 2005. It remains the highest individual score by a wicketkeeper in men’s ODI cricket. India were chasing 299 when Dhoni was promoted to No.3. He faced 145 balls, hit 15 fours and 10 sixes, and finished the chase unbeaten.
Most wicketkeepers bat in the middle order, so they rarely have enough overs to reach 180. Even an opener would need 184 to pass him. It has stood since 2005.
6. Most Not-Out Innings in ODI Cricket
Dhoni remained unbeaten 84 times in ODIs, more than any other player. Middle-order batters have more chances to finish unbeaten, but they usually come in with fewer overs left and a rising required rate. Many of those not-outs came in run chases.
Final Takeaway: Why These MS Dhoni Records May Last
One of these records may fall someday. It is hard to see one player breaking all six.
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