Top 3 final over finishes by MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is undoubtedly one of the best finishers in the history of limited overs cricket. His ability to score quick runs in high-pressure situations with a calm mind makes him different from other players. He has been so successful as a finisher because he understands the situation well and bats according to that.

Finishing the game is a very difficult task and to finish the game in the final over is even more difficult but Dhoni has done it many times for the Indian team and his IPL franchise CSK.

So here we'll take a look on top 3 last over finishes by Dhoni:

#3 Against Australia - Commonwealth Bank Series 2011

Australia elected to bat first after winning toss and put a good total of 269 on the board. Virender Sehwag got out early in the chase but Gautam Gambhir was playing well at the other end and scored 92 runs but was unfortunate to miss out on the century.

After a lot of action, the match reached the final over with Ravi Ashwin and Dhoni was at the crease. India needed 13 runs off the last over to win the match.

Clint McKay was chosen to bowl the last over and Ashwin was on strike. He got beaten off the first ball but took a single off the next one. With Dhoni on strike, India needed 12 runs from 4 balls. Dhoni hit a massive a six on the third ball to put things back in favour of India but the match wasn't over yet.

India still needed 6 runs from 3 balls. However, McKay bowled a waist-high no-ball, which Dhoni clubbed straight into the hands of deep square leg. However, it was a no ball. So Dhoni took a quick double to get back on strike. On the next ball, Dhoni hit the ball into the gap perfectly and ran 3 and won the match for India with 2 balls to spare.

#2 Against Sri Lank- Tri-Nation Sereis in West Indies 2013

MS Dhoni

In this match, India won the toss in the final of Tri-Nation series and elected to field first. Sri Lanka put up a low score of 201 on the board. It should have been an easy win for India but it wasn't.

After some good bowling performances by Sri Lanka, the match reached the final over. India needed 15 runs of the last over to win the final with just one wicket in hand. Eranga was bowling the last over for Sri Lanka and Mahendra Singh Dhoni was at the crease. Dhoni was beaten off the first ball but he hit a six and a four off next to balls. Now, India required just 5 from 3 balls and Dhoni hit a six on the fourth ball to win the final for India.

The Indian Captain proved to be a game-changer for them in the final match.

#3 Against Kings XI Punjab - IPL 2016

MS Dhoni

The 53rd match of IPL 2016 was played between Rising Pune Supergiants and Kings XI Punjab. Kings XI won the toss and decided to bat first. They put up a good total of 172 on the board. In reply, Rising Pune Supergiants lost 5 wickets after just 86 runs. However, Dhoni was still there at the crease and Thisara Perera came to bat at number 7. They added 59 runs for the 6th wicket but the latter got out after scoring 23.

RPS needed 23 runs in the last over to win the match, which Axar Patel decided to bowl. The first ball was a dot ball and the next ball was a wide. Dhoni hit a massive six off the 2nd delivery. Now, they needed 16 runs to win the match. On the next ball, Dhoni hit a flat-batted shot towards deep cover but Amla saved the boundary and Dhoni missed the chance to take a double.

However, after coming back on strike, Dhoni hit a four and two sixes off the next three balls and won the match for RPS in dramatic fashion.