Former India captain MS Dhoni has relinquished himself from the international duty as he bid adieu to the game on Saturday, August 15, and thereby ended a year of suspense and speculations. He announced his retirement on Instagram by posting a short video capturing his journey from the debut to the very end of his international career.
For India, Dhoni leaves behind an indelible legacy, a proven framework and a guiding philosophy for posterity. He shattered numerous records, created new ones and set benchmarks that will surely stand the test of time.
‘Captain Cool’, as he is popularly known, revolutionised the game of cricket with his lightning-fast reflexes behind the stumps, numerous intuitive decisions as a captain that is beyond the comprehension of collective wisdom, and not to forget, his immaculate hitting ability lower down the order.
His retirement has carved an enormous void in world cricket.
The cricketing fraternity flocked to social media platforms to express their admiration and good wishes for the 39-years-old.
International Cricket Council (ICC) also shared a series of nostalgic montages from Dhoni’s 16-year long, illustrious career that has been trending on Twitter.
One of the first videos the apex cricketing body shared on their official handle features Dhoni’s monstrous six off Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Kulasekara that saw India fly past a stiff target in the 2011 World Cup final. This moment is etched in the hearts of millions of cricket fans for eternity.
Dhoni finishes off in style!
He has retired from international cricket 16 years after making his debut 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/1e5ymqhd4O
— ICC (@ICC) August 15, 2020
In the 2016 T20 World Cup clash against Bangladesh, the Ranchi-born pulled out a spectacular last-ball run-out to knock the Tigers out of the tournament.
Who remembers this 🔥 run-out from MS Dhoni in the 2016 @T20WorldCup?
Where would you rate this in the top Dhoni moments in international cricket? pic.twitter.com/orpkEN3xhP
— ICC (@ICC) August 15, 2020
ICC replugged an old video from 2019 in which stalwarts like Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are heaping praise on the former Indian skipper.
MS Dhoni: One name, a million memories! 💫
What's your favourite memory of the former India skipper? pic.twitter.com/sszLHobegw
— ICC (@ICC) August 15, 2020
Further, the Ranchi-lad ranks third in the list of wicket-keepers with most dismissals, only behind Adam Gilchrist and Mark Boucher. However, when it comes to stumping, Dhoni is head and shoulders above his contemporaries.
Wicket-keepers with most international dismissals:
🇿🇦 Mark Boucher ➜ 998
🇦🇺 Adam Gilchrist ➜ 905
🇮🇳 MS DHONI ➜ 829 👏#DhoniRetires pic.twitter.com/AAJFErlRWg— ICC (@ICC) August 15, 2020
With the bat, Dhoni happened to be one of the most destructive batsmen who solely relied on his muscle-power to clear boundaries with incredible ease.
3️⃣5️⃣9️⃣ sixes in MS Dhoni's international career!
And he hit them all around the park 💥#DhoniRetires pic.twitter.com/EUGh8U8dyv
— ICC (@ICC) August 16, 2020
