MS Dhoni on cusp of five massive feats: Will CSK captain achieve each one of them in IPL 2024?
Fans were almost certain that Dhoni would retire from IPL after CSK lifted their fifth trophy on the night of May 29. However, much to the surprise and delight of everyone, Dhoni vowed to turn up for one more season as a tribute to his fans.
Dhoni, the only captain in history to win all the three ICC trophies in white-ball cricket, has achieved almost everything a cricketer could imagine in his career. The wicketkeeper-batter knows that his batting prowess has taken a hit with age, but he refuses to settle down, finding new ways to chip in for his team.
Apart from his beautifully leading a young team from behind the stumps, Dhoni demoted himself lower down the order last year, and came out only to bat with a handful of balls left in the innings. He scored 104 runs in 16 matches at an average of 32 and a whopping strike rate of 182.45. As many as 10 sixes came off his bat.
The IPL 2024 season will not just be about Dhoni marshalling his troops, but also about a set of records he can make his own. We have shortlisted five IPL records well within MS Dhoni’s sight this season.
The Ranchi-born cricketer needs 11 sixes to reach the landmark of 250 sixes in the IPL. Only Chris Gayle (357), Rohit Sharma (257) and AB de Villiers (251) have achieved the rare feat.
MS Dhoni is 20 dismissals short of becoming the first wicketkeeper-batter to reach the milestone of 200 dismissals from behind the stumps (catching and stumping). Dinesh Karthik is at second with 169 dismissals.
MS Dhoni needs 43 runs to complete 5000 runs for CSK (IPL + Champions League). The right-hander has scored 4957 runs at an average of 38.72 and a strike-rate of 137.8 in 244 matches.
MS Dhoni is 6 matches away to become the first CSK cricketer to play 250 matches (IPL + Champions League).
The wicketkeeper-batter needs 55 runs to complete 1500 runs in the IPL at the MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) in Chennai. Dhoni has scored 1445 runs at an average of 42.50 and a strike-rate of 145.52 in 55 innings from 62 matches.
