IPL 2021: 5 bowlers who have dismissed MS Dhoni most times in IPL
MS Dhoni is one of the biggest names in cricket. The wicket-keeper batsman has retired from international cricket, but he is still active in the Indian Premier League, where he is the captain of the Chennai Super Kings franchise.
While the legendary player has not played a big knock of late in the IPL, one cannot deny the fact that he is one of the best IPL players of all time. He has led the Chennai Super Kings to three IPL titles, and is one of the few batsmen to have scored over 4,500 IPL runs and smashed 200+ sixes in the tournament's history.
Only a few bowlers have a good record against MS Dhoni in IPL
MS Dhoni has mastered the art of chasing and knows how to pace the game. He is also a batsman who can turn a game on its head in a matter of a few deliveries by playing some big shots.
Bowling to MS Dhoni is one of the toughest jobs for any bowler, especially in T20 cricket. Very few bowlers have managed to perform well against Dhoni consistently, and in this listicle today, we will take a look at the five bowlers who have dismissed the CSK skipper the most number of times.
#5 Jasprit Bumrah - 3 times
Jasprit Bumrah is one of three bowlers to have dismissed MS Dhoni three times in the IPL. The right-arm pacer picked up Dhoni's wicket for the first time in 2016 at the MCA Stadium.
In 2017, Bumrah dismissed Dhoni twice, including once in the IPL Final. Interestingly, Bumrah has not been able to scalp Dhoni's wicket since the 2017 season.
#4 Kieron Pollard - 3 times
Another Mumbai Indians star to feature on this list is all-rounder Kieron Pollard. The right-arm medium pacer dismissed Dhoni for the first time in his debut season in 2010. He accomplished the feat once again in 2011 and then in 2015.
Pollard has not bagged Dhoni's wicket since the 2015 season. Interestingly, two of the three times Dhoni lost his wicket to Pollard, it was a caught and bowled dismissal. It will be interesting to see if Pollard can pick up Dhoni's wicket on September 19.
#3 Shane Watson - 3 times
Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson played his last IPL season for the Chennai Super Kings in 2020. Watson was one of the top all-rounders in the league during his prime and won the Man of the Series award in IPL 2008.
Watson dismissed MS Dhoni for the first time in IPL 2010 at MA Chidambaram Stadium. It took him six more years to pick up Dhoni's wicket again as he sent the Rising Pune Supergiant skipper back to the dressing room in an IPL 2016 league match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The following season, Watson rattled Dhoni's stumps at the same venue, and in 2018, he became a part of Dhoni's team.
#2 Pragyan Ojha - 6 times
Pragyan Ojha is the only spinner to have dismissed MS Dhoni thrice or more in the IPL history. During his time as an IPL player, the left-arm spinner represented the Deccan Chargers and the Mumbai Indians.
He played a total of 15 matches against CSK, where he scalped 21 wickets, of which six were of MS Dhoni. The former Indian skipper was caught out four times, stumped once and bowled once off Ojha's deliveries.
#1 Zaheer Khan - 7 times
The only bowler to have bagged MS Dhoni's wicket seven times in the IPL is former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan. The left-arm pacer came face-to-face with MS Dhoni in 13 IPL innings.
Khan took Dhoni's wicket in seven of those innings. Notably, all seven dismissals were caught out, with one of them being caught behind by the wicketkeeper.