Celebrating Captain Cool: 5 incredible records held by MS Dhoni in the IPL
In the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in 2008, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made MS Dhoni the most expensive player in the tournament when they bought him for USD 1.5 million.
The young wicket-keeper had just led India to the 2007 T20 World Cup and as CSK were left without an icon player, they decided to bring the Ranchi man to Chepauk.
Twelve years later, this decision can be looked upon as the best in the franchise's history. MS Dhoni has been promoted to almost god-like status in Chennai, although it is agreed that he is revered across the world.
With the Chennai Super Kings, he has won three IPL crowns and boasts of a whole host of insane records. In this article, we take a look at 5 incredible records that are held by MS Dhoni, who turns 39 on July 7, in the world's premier T20 franchise league.
#5 MS Dhoni has scored a 50 in 5 different batting positions
The CSK captain often uses himself as a floater in the middle order, which is a necessity in T20 cricket due to the fast-paced nature of the game. In the IPL, he is the only player to have scored fifties in 5 different positions - from 3 to 7.
The majority of MS Dhoni's IPL innings have come at positions 4 and 5 - 61 and 64 innings respectively. His strike rates are also the highest at these positions, 139.32 and 145.87 respectively.
However, we have seen MS Dhoni come in at 3 if the opening pair hangs in there, as well as at 7 if the top order collapses, and he has one fifty in each of these positions. He has also played 32 innings at number 6, the position at which he has batted for the majority of his international career.