5 tragic run-outs involving MS Dhoni
Former Indian captain MS Dhoni turns 39 on the 7th of July but despite his advancing age, he is still a livewire both between and behind the wickets. He is an excellent judge of a run and is one of the fastest ever between the 22 yards.
However, despite his incredible running between the sticks, we have seen him get run-out on the biggest stages in what can only be described as the most cruel of ironies. Much like AB de Villiers and Suresh Raina, who are themselves rapid between the wickets, MS Dhoni has managed to fall short of his ground in important games in World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In this article, we take a look at the five most tragic run-outs involving MS Dhoni.
#5 MS Dhoni's ODI debut
On his ODI debut against Bangladesh in 2004, MS Dhoni found himself victim to one of cricket's most painful dismissals - run-out for 0. After nurdling a harmless floater from Mohammad Rafique to square leg, the wicket-keeper set off for a non-existent single, only to be sent back by his partner Mohammad Kaif.
Uncharacteristically, the young batsman lost his levelheadedness, and headed back to the pavilion disconsolate. Ironically, Ravi Shastri, who would be commentate during MS Dhoni's greatest cricketing moment 7 years later, was on air. Thankfully for the 23-year-old, he got a few more opportunities with the national team and soon became a regular fixture in the playing XI.
India went on to win the game by a narrow margin of 11 runs - the only win on this list of tragic MS Dhoni run-outs.