MS Dhoni's 3 best moments in IPL finals

MS Dhoni is the most consistent captain in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain has led his team to the IPL finals for the 10th time in 14 seasons they have participated, having won the title on four occasions.

The team has a chance to equal the Mumbai Indians' (MI) tally of five titles if they manage to beat the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final of IPL 2023. The Titans, on the other hand, are the defending champions and will be looking to defend their crown, a feat that Dhoni first achieved first in 2011.

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Affectionately known as "Thala" by CSK fans, Dhoni also became the first Indian captain to lift the IPL trophy in 2010. Needless to say, in the number of years spent with this franchise, he has cemented himself as one of Chennai's own.

Of course, that means he's had some iconic and unforgettable moments in IPL Finals. On that note, we take a look at three of MS Dhoni's best IPL final moments.

#1 MS Dhoni's maiden title, IPL 2010

After the Super Kings posted 168/5 on the board courtesy of a half-century from Suresh Raina, the final was hanging in the balance. With the Mumbai top order struggling, MS Dhoni and his team did well to apply the squeeze and put pressure on the opposition.

With the game going down to the wire, Kieron Pollard was the most potent threat in the MI batting line-up, capable of taking the game away from CSK. However, his threat was neutralized by the Chennai captain in the most typical way.

Thinking out of the box, Dhoni placed a fielder right next to the bowler, trying to cut off Pollard's strong zone, which was down the ground. The fielding change worked like a charm as Matthew Hayden completed the catch in the penultimate over to all but seal the deal for Chennai.

#2 IPL 2011 Final

With this win, MS Dhoni and his Chennai Super Kings team became the first-ever side to defend their title in the IPL. Till date, the Mumbai Indians are the only other side to achieve this feat, winning back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020.

Coming up against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2011 final, it was Dhoni's captaincy that stood out to steal the show.

After Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay struck commanding half-centuries to carry CSK to a total of 205/5, the obvious threat for them was going to be Chris Gayle.

However, the big West Indian was taken out of the equation by another masterstroke from the CSK skipper. Ravichandran Ashwin took the new ball in this final, getting rid of Gayle in his first over and also dismissing Mayank Agarwal in his second over. That pretty much broke the backbone of RCB's run chase, giving CSK a comprehensive win to seal back-to-back titles.

#3 IPL 2021 Final

The Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni sealed their fourth IPL title in 2021, doing it in some style against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final.

It was their openers who were stupendous throughout the tournament. With Faf du Plessis' half-century alongside cameos from Robin Uthappa and Moeen Ali, CSK posted a total of 192/3 in the finals.

In reply, CSK bowlers responded strongly after a convincing opening stand between Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer. From 91/1, KKR collapsed badly and could only muster 165/9, eventually losing the game by 27 runs.

The highlight for MS Dhoni came in the post-game interview though. With questions about his retirement looming large, during the interview, Harsha Bhogle mentioned, "You can be proud of the legacy you have left behind."

In a cheeky reply, Dhoni stated, "Still I haven't left behind" before letting out a wry smile that confirmed he wasn't done yet, much to the ecstasy of his fans.