MS Dhoni's best IPL moments that don't fade away

MS Dhoni in action for the Chennai Super Kings

Only one skipper from the first Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2008 is still at the helm, still calling the shots. MS Dhoni, the player and the captain, is one game away from taking his team to yet another IPL final – and no one is surprised. CSK have the biggest brand value and the biggest fan following amongst all the teams in the IPL.

Dhoni is one of the biggest reasons for that, if not the biggest. The man who has scored 328 runs this season at an average of 32.8 hasn’t really been at his fluent best, but when it comes down to clutch situations, he can still play the grinding, tough knocks to see his team through.

Let us take a look at four of his most memorable innings in the IPL that don’t fade away from the memories of his fans, much like the Axe Signature range:

51* (20) against Mumbai Indians, 2012

It was a big game. It was a knockout game. In terms of stats, 2012 was Dhoni’s worst year at the IPL. But cometh the hour cometh the man is an adage that the CSK captain embodies almost every single time.

Dhoni walked to the middle after CSK were reduced to 95 for three in the 14th over, having lost their first two wickets in the second over for a single run on the board. The Chennai-based franchise clobbered 92 in the remaining 6.4 overs thanks largely to Dhoni, who managed 51* in just 20 balls at a strike-rate of 255. There were three consecutive fours off Dhawal Kulkarni, the man who had pegged CSK back early on.

There was the trademark helicopter shot that went for six against none other than Lasith Malinga who usually delivers the perfect yorker. A length delivery from James Franklin was sent into orbit, 112 meters the distance.

CSK won the game by 38 runs.

65 (30) against Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2008

The inaugural season of IPL had players scrambling to understand the nuances of T20. The pioneer though was miles ahead, fully aware of what was to be done. A classy example came in Chennai’s game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who boasted of a bowling line-up that included Zaheer Khan, Dale Steyn, Praveen Kumar and Jacques Kallis.

CSK, batting first, reached 83 for three after 12 overs when the perfect man for the onslaught walked out to bat. There were two amazing shots for fours off Steyn in the 15th over. There was a scoop against Kallis that went to the second tier over long off.

Long before AB de Villiers massacred Steyn, it was Dhoni who had taken up the adventurous venture. Steyn went for 24 in the 19th over, hit for four fours and a six.

Zaheer, bowling the last over, was taken apart for two fours and a six with Dhoni eventually holing out to deep extra cover. In all, he managed 65 in 30 balls at the strike-rate of 216 with nine fours and three sixes.

54* (29) against Kings XI Punjab, 2010

MS Dhoni during his knock against Kings XI Punjab in 2010

A lot of Dhoni fans remember this innings crystal clear. It was one of the rare games that witnessed an emotional Dhoni as he helped CSK win an improbable game and make it to the semi-final, showing a lot of emotions on the way.

KXIP had posted a massive target of 192 at Dharamsala, and CSK were behind the eight ball even after managing 89 for three in the 10th over. But Dhoni then smacked an unbeaten 54 in just 29 balls with five fours and two sixes, with the last 47 runs coming in just 18 balls, to steal the win for his team.

Irfan Pathan was the biggest casualty at the hands of Man of the Match Dhoni; the Baroda pacer was clobbered for 18 runs including two massive sixes to take CSK home.

67* (37) against Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2013

Playing a home game, CSK were chasing 160, but Michael Hussey’s sound start was on the verge of being frittered away. After Suresh Raina’s departure, CSK needed 61 more in 40 balls and the situation got tougher after Dwayne Bravo’s departure, the equation being 30 needed off 16 balls.

But Dhoni, unbeaten yet again, saw the team through, scoring 67 off just 37 balls. Once again, it was Steyn who was victimised, hit for a four and six in the penultimate over and two sixes in the over prior to that, one of them an unbelievable forehand smash over long-on.

Ashish Reddy had 15 runs to defend in the last over, but Dhoni smacked a six and two fours to finish the game off with two balls to spare.