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MS Dhoni is one of the greatest Indian cricketers ever. Not only for the Indian team, he has also done wonders for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise. Dhoni has led CSK to five IPL titles; however, for the 17th edition, he decided to solely play as keeper-batter, handing over the leadership role to Ruturaj Gaikwad.
As we all know, apart from being a brilliant batter, MSD is known for his wicketkeeping skills. Over the years, for India and his franchises, Dhoni has taken some brilliant catches. The former Indian World Cup-winning captain has played in every IPL season till now. Overall, he has 252 matches of experience in the biggest T20 league under his belt.
Dhoni ranks first in the list of most dismissals made by a wicketkeeper in IPL history. In 252 matches, the former CSK captain has taken 145 catches and had 42 stumpings to his name. On that note, in this article, we will take a look at the top five best catches by MS Dhoni in the IPL.
#5 - MS Dhoni's sharp catch against SRH in IPL 2023
It was the 29th match between CSK and SRH when MSD showed his keeping class. It was the fifth ball of Maheesh Theekshana’s over when he bowled a carrom ball. Markram tried to hit it over off-side but managed an edge to the keeper.
MSD took a sharp catch to dismiss Aiden Markram and showed his great keeping skills. Overall, it was a very good match for CSK, as SRH managed to score only 137. In response, Conway scored a brilliant half-century and guided CSK to victory with eight balls to spare.
#4 - MS Dhoni’s one-handed blinder
In the 37th match of IPL 2020, held at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, MS Dhoni took a blinder down the leg side. CSK won the toss and decided to bat but had a poor outing as they only managed to score 125 runs in 20 overs.
It was the fifth over of the match when a moment of cherishment came to CSK fans. Deepak Chahar bowled a delivery on the pads, which took the slightest edge off Sanju Samson’s bat. MSD made no mistake and dived to his left to take a brilliant catch, holding the ball between his thumb and forefinger.
However, CSK ended up on the losing side. Rajasthan Royals chased the target of 126 runs in 17 overs, thanks to a brilliant half-century by Jos Buttler, who remained unbeaten on 70 runs.
#3 - A great running catch by MS Dhoni to dismiss Nitish Rana
The third on the list is a running catch by MSD against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Chennai Super Kings batted first in the 15th match of the IPL 2021, held at Wankhede Stadium, and scored 220 runs in 20 overs, courtesy of half-centuries by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis.
In response, trying to score some runs in the powerplay, Nitish Rana got a leading edge on a fullish delivery on the pads bowled by Deepak Chahar. The ball went high up in the direction of the square leg. MS Dhoni was quick to call it and took a brilliant running catch to dismiss Rana.
This time, CSK ended up on the winning side. KKR put up a fight through a brilliant knock by Andre Russell and Pat Cummins, but they fell short by 18 runs and were bowled out on 202.
#2 - MS Dhoni's 2.27m diving catch in IPL 2024
One of the best catches of MS Dhoni in IPL history came against the Gujarat Titans in match seven of IPL 2024. GT won the toss and decided to bowl first, but things didn't go the way they would have wanted as CSK scored 206 in 20 overs.
However, what caught everyone’s attention was the great catch by MSD. It was the third ball of the seventh over by Daryl Mitchell when Vijay Shankar tried to drive it but only managed to get an edge. The former CSK captain dived to his right to take a brilliant catch. MSD was in the air when he took the catch with both of his hands, sending the CSK crowd into a frenzy.
CSK easily defeated GT by 63 runs and won their second game of the tournament. Next, they are scheduled to play against the Delhi Capitals on March 31.
#1 - The flying MSD
On top of our list is MSD’s catch against the Kolkata Knight Riders. It was match 21 of the 13th edition of the IPL. Kolkata won the toss and decided to bat first, and it was the penultimate ball of KKR’s innings when Shivam Mavi was trying to score some quick runs.
Dwayne Bravo bowled a slower ball, Mavi only got an edge while trying to slog the ball, and MSD completed a spectacular catch. The former Indian captain dived to his right; however, the ball popped from his hand, and he then dove again to catch it on the rebound.
However, CSK were on the losing side, as they couldn't chase down the target of 168 runs. In the end, they fell short of 10 runs, but MSD took one of the best catches ever in the game.
