Celebrating Captain Cool: 5 incredible records held by MS Dhoni in the IPL

In the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in 2008, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made MS Dhoni the most expensive player in the tournament when they bought him for USD 1.5 million.

The young wicket-keeper had just led India to the 2007 T20 World Cup and as CSK were left without an icon player, they decided to bring the Ranchi man to Chepauk.

Twelve years later, this decision can be looked upon as the best in the franchise's history. MS Dhoni has been promoted to almost god-like status in Chennai, although it is agreed that he is revered across the world.

With the Chennai Super Kings, he has won three IPL crowns and boasts of a whole host of insane records. In this article, we take a look at 5 incredible records that are held by MS Dhoni, who turns 39 on July 7, in the world's premier T20 franchise league.

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#5 MS Dhoni has scored a 50 in 5 different batting positions

MS Dhoni's versatility is highly underrated, especially in the Indian Premier League

The CSK captain often uses himself as a floater in the middle order, which is a necessity in T20 cricket due to the fast-paced nature of the game. In the IPL, he is the only player to have scored fifties in 5 different positions - from 3 to 7.

The majority of MS Dhoni's IPL innings have come at positions 4 and 5 - 61 and 64 innings respectively. His strike rates are also the highest at these positions, 139.32 and 145.87 respectively.

However, we have seen MS Dhoni come in at 3 if the opening pair hangs in there, as well as at 7 if the top order collapses, and he has one fifty in each of these positions. He has also played 32 innings at number 6, the position at which he has batted for the majority of his international career.

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#4 MS Dhoni has scored the most runs in the 20th over of the innings

MS Dhoni nearly pulled off another incredible IPL chase against RCB bowler Umesh Yadav

MS Dhoni always reaches his brutal best in the last over of an innings, and his IPL numbers in the 20th over are no different - 554 runs at a strike rate of 244, with 46 sixes. He has also been dismissed only 19 times in the last over.

The players who are second and third on this list are Kieron Pollard and Rohit Sharma, who have scored 272 and 248 runs respectively. Interestingly, the West Indian all-rounder's numbers pale in comparison to MS Dhoni. Although he is also incredibly destructive at the death, his strike rate is (only!) 210.83 at an average of 18.13.

With MS Dhoni undoubtedly the best finisher the game has ever seen, this stat might not come as a big surprise to many fans, but the sheer improbability of such numbers in the last over makes this an incredible record.

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#3 MS Dhoni has the highest average among Indian batsmen, and second-highest overall (min. 1000 runs)

MS Dhoni is the only middle-order batsman at the top of the list of highest averages in the IPL

MS Dhoni averages 42.20 in the IPL, which is astounding if we consider the number of high-risk shots he plays in each innings. Among Indian batsmen, only Iqbal Abdulla has a higher average, but the left-arm spinner has scored only 88 runs in the history of the tournament.

If we include overseas batsmen, Adam Voges, Hashim Amla, and Jonny Bairstow have higher averages, but they have only played 35 innings combined. The only batsman, Indian or overseas, who can hold a candle to MS Dhoni is Australian opener David Warner, who has scored 4706 runs at an average of 43.17.

MS Dhoni is second on the list of batsmen with over 1000 runs in the IPL, with his 65 not out innings in the IPL playing a big part in bumping up the average.

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#2 MS Dhoni has featured in the IPL final the most number of times

MS Dhoni was run-out by inches in the final of IPL 2019 against the Mumbai Indians

MS Dhoni has featured in the final of the cash-rich T20 league 9 times, the highest number among all players. He played 8 of these games for CSK, while he also made a solitary appearance for the Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) in the last year of CSK's suspension.

Unfortunately for MS Dhoni, he hasn't had the best of luck in IPL finals. He has won the tournament on three occasions (2010, 2011, 2018), but he has been on the receiving end of two 1-run losses, both at the hands of the Mumbai Indians.

However, the fact that he has reached the final in 75% of all IPL seasons is an incredible feat in itself.

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#1 MS Dhoni has the most matches, most wins, highest win percentage as captain in the IPL

MS Dhoni has led the Chennai Super Kings in every Indian Premier League game

MS Dhoni has captained every game he has played for CSK, with an inexplicable removal from the post by the RPS management an aberration on the record of the IPL's greatest ever captain.

The stumper has captained 174 matches in the IPL, and has won 104 of them at a win percentage of 60.11. He has also skippered the CSK team to the playoffs in all 10 seasons they have been part of the lucrative tournament.

Rohit Sharma is second on this list, with 60 wins from 104 games at a win percentage of 58.65. Gautam Gambhir, who captained the Kolkata Knight Riders to great success, is third with 71 wins in 129 games - a win percentage of 55.03, more than 5 points behind that of MS Dhoni.

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