IPL 2018: The "Fab Five" Indian cricketers in the IPL history
The Great Indian summer fest of the Indian Premier League has unearthed numerous talents in the last ten years. The players who came into the limelight through the IPL have excelled at the highest levels. The IPL has changed the players mindset and their approaches towards the game as a whole. Its contribution to the Indian cricket has been immense, as many budding cricketers have gone the opportunity to play alongside the legends of the game.
Over the years, many players have enchanted the fans through their exceptional performances. But some players have dominated the league right from its inception and even continue to do so. These players have been immensely successful as well as popular among the fans, who adopted them as their own. Let us now look at the five fabulous Indian cricketers who have dominated the IPL all these years.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings)
‘Captain Cool’ MS Dhoni needs no introduction when it comes to the IPL. The most expensive player of the inaugural edition( $1.5 million in 2008) led the Chennai Super Kings in eight consecutive seasons (2008-2015). He is the longest-serving skipper in the IPL history and is also the only captain to successfully retain the title.
The Chennai Super Kings have entered the knockouts in all eight seasons under Dhoni, winning the title twice (2010 and 2011). Dhoni played for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant franchise in the 2016 and 2017 editions after CSK's two-year suspension.
Dhoni has scored 3675 runs in 163 matches at a strike-rate of 136.92. Dhoni has made 18 half-centuries in his IPL career so far, with the highest score of 70*. A regular contributor with the bat scoring at least a fifty in all eight seasons, Dhoni has also been priceless behind the stumps.