When it comes to players who could finish the game, MS Dhoni is the cream of the crop. Dhoni used his hard-hitting skills and his power to intimidate the opposition bowlers at the death.
Dhon had a knack of scoring the winning runs, often by scoring a six. Who can forget his match-winning six in the final of the 2011 World Cup against Sri Lanka?
On the occasion of his birthday, on July 7, TSN takes a look at seven instances where MSD scored the winning runs for his teams.
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183* in 145 balls vs Sri Lanka (3rd ODI, Sri Lanka Tour of India 2005)
Sri Lanka batted first and set India a challenging target of 299. India lost Sachin Tendulkar early on, which saw MS Dhoni being promoted to No. 3 in an attempt to keep the scoring rate up.
Playing with an unhurried ease, he scored an unbeaten 183 off just 145 balls, thwarting the Sri Lankan bowling lineup and helping India secure a six-wicket win after he hit a six with just two runs required. This was Dhoni's highest-ever score in ODIs.
15 fours, 10 sixes and 183* off 145! ⚡️💪💪⚡️#OnThisDay in 2005, @msdhoni took Sri Lanka by storm and notched up his highest ODI score. #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/3lqDQQfPSV
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 31, 2020
91* in 79 balls vs Sri Lanka (Final, 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup)
This was one of the finest big-match knocks that we are ever likely to see as MS Dhoni scored a brilliant unbeaten 91 off just 79 to help India clinch the 2011 World Cup.
Walking it at No. 3 after Virat Kohli was dismissed, it was a surprising decision to see him come out before Yuvraj Singh. However, he proved everyone wrong and scored 91 runs, sealing the victory with a massive hit over long-on.
MORE: MS Dhoni's rise in Indian Cricket
72* in 46 balls vs Pakistan (3rd ODI, India Tour of Pakistan 2005-06)
Dhoni walked in after India lost the wicket of Mohammad Kaif to be reduced to 190-5 after 34.4 overs.
Pakistan had set a target of 289 runs, and India needed 99 runs in 92 balls at that point. With Yuvraj Singh at the other end, Dhoni absolutely demolished the Pakistan bowlers, scoring an unbeaten 72 off just 46 deliveries. India won the match by five wickets and 16 balls to spare as Dhoni hit a boundary to seal the victory.
45* in 52 balls vs Sri Lanka (Tri-series in West Indies 2013)
India took on Sri Lanka in the final of the tri-series, which also featured West Indies, in 2013.
With a brilliant bowling performance, led by Ravindra Jadeja, India limited the Lankans to just 201 runs in 50 overs.
The Indians' chase, though, got off to a rough start as they lost their first two wickets for just 27 runs. When Dhoni entered the match, India was well placed at 139/4. The Indian batting line-up began to crumble like a house of cards, though, and the game quickly changed.
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Suddenly, the Men in Blue were down to 9 wickets with 20 runs still needed. India had to score 15 runs in the final over for the game to be won. Shaminda Eranga was tasked with protecting the total when MS Dhoni went on strike. The first ball of the last over was a dot, but Dhoni went on to win the match for India once more by scoring 16 runs in the subsequent three balls, for scores of six, four, and six.
44* in 58 balls vs Australia (Tri-series in Australia 2012)
In 2012, India, Australia, and Sri Lanka contested in a tri-series. During India's league game against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on February 12, 2012, the hosts put on 269 runs on the board for the loss of eight wickets.
In reply, India lost Virender Sehwag inside the powerplay. Gambhir scored 92 runs, but the rest of the Indian lineup provided little help to the southpaw.
When Gambhir was out, MS Dhoni came to the crease with India still needing 92 runs from the remaining 15.5 overs. 52 runs were scored as a result of Dhoni and Suresh Raina's significant partnership for the fifth wicket.
However, the game remained close until the very last over. Clint McKay was bowling the final over for the Baggy Greens, and India required 12 runs off of four deliveries. MS Dhoni then scored a 112-metre six, one of the longest at the Adelaide Oval, to close the gap. McKay then bowled a no ball, of which Dhoni took two runs. With 3 runs needed of 3 balls, Dhoni struck the ball cleanly and ran three runs and India pulled off a famous victory.
64* in 32 balls vs Punjab Kings (IPL 2016)
In IPL 2016, Dhoni was playing for the Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were serving a two-year suspension due to their involvement in match-fixing.
Punjab Kings (known as Kings XI Punjab at the time) posted 172 runs on the board after batting first. In reply, RPS were on the brink of defeat as they needed 23 runs off the last over.
RPS had lost six wickets, but Dhoni was still at the crease, acting as the last hope for his side. Axar Patel was entrusted with defending the total in the final over, and he bowled a good first ball, resulting in a dot. However, Dhoni then went on carnage as he hit three sixes and one four in the next five balls to secure a win.
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54* in 29 balls vs Punjab Kings (IPL 2010)
When Chennai Super Kings faced Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in IPL 2010 and needed to win by 193 runs to go to the semi-finals, MSD's bat produced one of its greatest finishes ever.
'Thala' was once again under pressure to deliver something exceptional with CSK requiring 16 runs off the penultimate over. Irfan Pathan was getting ready to bowl the final over as it was unquestionably getting close. MSD, however, was not in the mood to play till the final ball.
The CSK captain hit a four and two sixes to give his team one of the most dramatic victories ever as the Men in Yellow won with two balls to spare.
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