MS Dhoni's birthday: Top 5 glorious moments with CSK

The words 'MS Dhoni' and 'CSK' go hand in hand as the beloved 'Thala' is the heartbeat of the franchise. Dhoni has been an absolute legend over the years and he has had a lion's share in the success CSK have achieved in their history.

Three IPL titles and two Champions Leagues hardly show the kind of impact MS Dhoni has had on CSK. His legacy is defined by the way he has led the team and the crucial decisions he has made both as a batsman and as a captain.

As the Indian legend turns 40, let's have a look at five such memorable moments of MS Dhoni with the Chennai Super Kings.

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#5 When MS Dhoni's storm destroyed RCB

MS Dhoni's blistering 70* floored RCB (Source: Twitter)

CSK faced RCB in a crucial IPL 2018 game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Virat Kohli's team posted a mammoth total on the board, setting MS Dhoni's side a tough target of 206 to win the game.

CSK got off to a horrible start and had lost four wickets for 72 runs at one point during the chase. It was around this time that MS Dhoni walked out and turned the tide of the game from the get-go alongside Ambati Rayudu.

Dhoni launched a counter attack of immense quality that left the RCB bowlers shell-shocked. The target, which looked far-fetched at one point, was achieved with two balls to spare thanks to Dhoni's blistering, unbeaten 70 off just 34 balls. The knock remains one of his best in a CSK shirt.

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#4 When an emotional and angry MS Dhoni blew away Kings XI Punjab

MS Dhoni was animated after his magnificent knock helped CSK make it to the semis (Source: Twitter)

CSK met the Kings XI Punjab (now the Punjab Kings) in a do-or-die game for MS Dhoni's side at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala during the IPL 2010 season. Punjab posted a daunting total of 192-3 in 20 overs and on a tricky pitch, CSK needed 193 to make it to the semifinals.

CSK were just about in the chase, but KXIP still looked like favorites to win the game. The equation came down to 29 runs from the last two overs for MS Dhoni's team, but no target seemed to be out of reach for Dhoni in his prime.

Smashing a 54-run knock off just 29 balls, MSD almost single-handedly took his team into the semifinals. In the last over, bowled by Irfan Pathan, Dhoni smashed two sixes to seal the victory. He was more emotional than ever seen before with the win and couldn't hide his emotions. Dhoni smacked himself in the helmet with his gloves as Albie Morkel began celebrating with him.

This remains one of those rare moments where the world has seen MS Dhoni so animated.

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#3 Clever field placement to dismiss Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard was foxed by some brilliant captaincy from Dhoni (P.C. CricTracker)

CSK's maiden IPL title also came down to a clever move by MS Dhoni that turned out to be decisive in the final. Mumbai Indians needed 55 runs from the last three overs to win the IPL 2010 final.

Although it looked tough, Kieron Pollard came out all guns blazing and smashed 22 runs off Doug Bollinger to bring MI roaring back into the game. It was clear that only he stood between CSK and victory and MS Dhoni just had to do something out of the ordinary to get the West Indian out.

Dhoni kept a fielder fairly straighter than the usual mid-off, alongside a wider long-off anticipating that Pollard would hit straight down the ground. The plan confused several critics and commentators. But it worked wonders as Pollard hit the ball straight to mid-off fielder Matthew Hayden and CSK ended up winning their maiden IPL title.

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#2 MS Dhoni's fastest fifty for CSK

Dhoni scored 34 runs off Thisara Perera's over (Source: Twitter)

CSK faced the Sunrisers Hyderabad in a Champions League T20 encounter back in 2013. Suresh Raina's blistering 87 helped CSK post a daunting 202-4, but it was MS Dhoni's unbelievable knock that got all the headlines.

The CSK skipper scored 63 runs off an unbelievable 19 balls and brought up his half-century in just 16 deliveries. This is still a record in CLT20 history and is his fastest half-century for CSK.

The highlight of that innings was some unbelievable hitting from Dhoni off Thisara Perera, where he took the pacer for 34 runs including five huge sixes!

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#1 Back-to-back IPL titles

CSK were a dominant force in the 2010 and 2011 IPL campaigns (Source: Twitter)

Winning the IPL title in itself is a difficult task but to be able to repeat that feat in consecutive years is an unbelievable achievement. Until Mumbai did it last season, CSK was the only team that had achieved this feat, securing the title in 2010 and 2011.

That CSK team didn't have too many big names like some of their counterparts. But the side, coached by Stephen Fleming, banked on players such as Albie Morkel, Subramaniam Badrinath, Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay who were the unsung heroes of the two campaigns.

The Indian core of the team was strong as well, with MS Dhoni himself, Suresh Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin doing the bulk of the damage to their oppositions. It was a fantastic achievement by CSK.

MS Dhoni also later helped the Chennai outfit to a third IPL title in the 2018 season, which marked their return after a two-year ban.