IPL 2021: 3 milestones MS Dhoni could reach this year

MS Dhoni has returned to lead the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2021. While the team will pursue their fourth title in the competition, the CSK captain will also have an eye on a few personal milestones he could achieve this year after a dismal 2020 campaign.

Dhoni had a poor run with the bat last year, failing to register a single fifty in an IPL season for the first time since 2008. He scored only 200 runs in 14 matches as CSK failed to reach the playoffs for the first time in 11 IPL campaigns.

Three milestones awaiting MS Dhoni in IPL 2021:

MS Dhoni and co. will open their IPL 2021 campaign against the Delhi Capitals on Saturday at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni could also have an eye on a few milestones during the tournament. On that note, let's have a look at three of them.

#1 5000 runs

Currently eighth in the list of all-time run-scorers in the IPL, MS Dhoni needs 368 runs to reach the 5000-run mark.

Virat Kohli (5878), Suresh Raina (5368), David Warner (5254), Rohit Sharma (5230) and Shikhar Dhawan (5197) are the top five run-scorers in IPL history.

#2 250 sixes

MS Dhoni is renowned for his six-hitting prowess. The wicketkeeper-batsman has the brute force and impeccable timing to send the ball soaring into the stands effortlessly, something he has done many times in the IPL.

With 215 sixes, the 39-year-old is only behind AB de Villiers (235) and Chris Gayle (349) in the list of most maximums in IPL history.

It could be a tall task for MS Dhoni to reach the 250 sixes mark this season, though, considering his supposedly diminishing big-hitting prowess, .

#3 150 dismissals as a wicketkeeper

MS Dhoni has been one of the safest and most reliable wicketkeepers in the history of the IPL,

He'll be on the cusp of a significant milestone in IPL 2021, as he is two dismissals away from becoming the first wicketkeeper to register 150 dismissals in the competition.

MS Dhoni today:- 100 catches in IPL (96 as keeper; 4 as fielder)- 100th IPL win as CSK captain- 250 dismissals as wicketkeeper in Twenty20 cricket#MIvCSK #IPL2020

— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) September 19, 2020

Dinesh Karthik (140) is the only other wicketkeeper in IPL history to record 100 dismissals.