5 careers which never took off under MS Dhoni's captaincy

When people want to talk about the best captains that India has ever had then the name of Mahendra Singh Dhoni would figure at the top of most lists and rightly so, considering the success that he enjoyed over the course of his tenure.

During his time, he turned India into a world-beating side across the three formats of the game and also helped promote players, who went on to become star players under his leadership. However, during a long tenure, it was unlikely that all the players that were given a chance under Dhoni's leadership would go on to carve out a great career.

As a result there were certain gifted players, whose careers never really took off while playing under Dhoni. Some of them faded away, while some made a comeback at a later date. So, here is a look at 5 of those cricketers.

#5 Saurabh Tiwary

Following his performances in the Unde-19 World Cup in 2008 and later on his displays of power hitting in the IPL, Jharkhand batsman Saurabh Tiwary was looked upon as the next big thing in Indian cricket.

As a matter of fact, his hairstyle and his approach to batting saw people comparing him with his more illustrious cricketer from Jharkhand, the Indian captain MS Dhoni. Sure enough, he got his chance in December 2010 in an ODI against Australia and helped India close out a chase with a steady 12. In his second outing, he did better and made 37 in 39 (4 fours, 1 sixes) as India chased down 316 against New Zealand on the back of a Yusuf Pathan blitzkrieg.

However, what looked like a promising career did not quite take off as he went on to play only one more ODI and was never seen again. Perhaps it was thought that the likes of Raina and Pathan were better suited to the role than him, especially due to their all-round abilities.

#4 Joginder Sharma

Joginder Sharma celebrates India's victory against Australia in the semi-final of the World T20

He will forever be known for his last over heroics against Pakistan in the last over of the World T20 final that gave MS Dhoni his first big triumph as captain. Many might have thought that Joginder Sharma had a big limited overs career ahead of him. After all, he was only 23 when it happened and such a notion would not have been entirely misplaced.

That being said, Sharma never got to play for India in international cricket ever again and it remains a mystery why Dhoni never selected him. Needless to say, he was a limited bowler and a limited batsman, however, in those years, such players often gave limited overs teams a certain flexibility that captains craved.

The fact that he never played for India against is something that is perhaps a bit strange and the fact that Dhoni found other players who could do the job, means that it was not his fault that Sharma's career never took off. It is a competitive world after all.

#3 Vinay Kumar

Despite his domestic exploits, he coudn't quite do it on the international stage

Karnataka medium pace bowler Vinay Kumar is one of the most consistent performers in domestic cricket to this day and it was the same when he first arrived on the scene back in 2004-05. Eventually, his excellent swing and seam bowling, accuracy and consistency got him an IPL contract and in 2010, he debuted for India in an ODI series in Zimbabwe.

However, he could not quite maintain the same levels of excellence in international cricket and although Dhoni persisted with him for as many as 34 ODIs, it did not translate into anything tangible. He only picked up 38 wickets at an economy rate of 5.94.

He was given a go in Test cricket as well but in the only Test that he played, he picked up a solitary wicket. It was a career that promised much but did not quite take off and Dhoni is the last person who should be blamed for it.

#2 Umesh Yadav

Umesh was a fast bowler who had pace but not consistency under Dhoni

The fast bowler was often regarded as the next big thing in Indian cricket when he burst on to the domestic scene in the 2008-09 season and since he could bowl consistently at speeds of more than 140 kmph. He soon became a player that the Indian team fast-tracked into the side as he made his ODI debut in 2010 and year later, he got into the Test side.

However, under Dhoni's captaincy he never quite became the bowler that he had promised to become. In Test cricket, in particular, Yadav's menace was never really unleashed and Dhoni's penchant for going for defensive fields in overseas Test often hurt him (and many other bowlers), since they struggled to pick up wickets.

Although his career did not quite go according to plan under Dhoni, it was resurrected under the leadership of Virat Kohli and in the last season at home, he turned into one of the most lethal bowlers for India in the longest format.

#1 Yusuf Pathan

Yusuf Pathan during India's loss to England in the Twenty20 World Cup Super Eights in 2009

There are very few players who have the audacity to hit the first ball of a World T20 final against Pakistan for a six. It was MS Dhoni, a captain who loved taking risks, who handed Yusuf Pathan his debut in the game.

Pathan was one of the most fearsome power hitters in Indian cricket for some time and his exploits in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals on a regular basis was a testament to that. He was a handy bowler as well and Dhoni loved all-rounders. However, it was his inconsistency with the bat that ultimately cost him his place in the side.

He could turn a game on his own if he wanted but more often than not, he perished with the game in the balance and eventually Dhoni dropped him from the first eleven midway through the 2011 World Cup. Although he did make comebacks to the side from time to time, the career that promised so much did not quite come to fruition.