The popularity of T20 cricket, especially in India, can be attributed to a particular Indian team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who returned as World champions of the format in its inaugural global competition in 2007. And a year later, the advent of the Indian Premier League (IPL) coincided with the transformation of Dhoni into the beloved 'Captain Cool'.
A leader par excellence, Dhoni has donned the captaincy role for two IPL teams - Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS), since the beginning of the league in 2008. IPL, arguably the world's most popular T20 cricket league, and its most famous skipper, Dhoni, have grown by leaps and bounds in their decade-and-half long symbiotic coexistence.
In the process, Dhoni has played the most number of matches in the league as captain, effected the most dismissals as a wicketkeeper and earned the nickname 'Thala' among his CSK fans, while becoming one of the most successful skippers with four IPL titles. He is probably the most prominent ambassador of the league and his performance and form in the league spilled over to his international career and the reverse is true too.
Overall IPL batting stats
Here we have to retrace the glorious journey of the IPL and its best representative 'Mahi' Dhoni:
The beginning...
Dhoni started his IPL journey as the most expensive cricketer in the league, fetching (at that time) a jaw-dropping USD 1.5 million or upwards of Rs 6 Crore contract as the skipper of Chennai Super Kings in the first players' auction. It turned out to be a fruitful and long-term relationship between Dhoni and the Chennai-based franchise.
Soon, Dhoni became a superstar for the CSK fans. And in no time, the calm and composed wicketkeeper batsman became 'Thala' for the team's vast followers, making the team one of the most popular in the league.
Dhoni did not disappoint his fans, taking the team to the final of the inaugural edition itself in 2008. CSK though lost the title clash to the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals. But it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship with the team, its fans and the league.
Most dismissals in IPL
1/10:IPL 2023: The captains and their teams
TNN
2/10:Gujarat Titans
<p>Not many would have bet on Gujarat Titans winning the IPL title on debut. Now they are the most-marked team and opponents will try to exploit the chinks in their armour. </p>PTI
3/10:Hardik Pandya
<p>Hardik Pandya was a revelation in 2022 as skipper and batter. Titans will hope he carries on in that vein and takes even more bowling responsibility.</p>PTI
4/10:Rajasthan Royals
<p>Having got rid of the image of 'perennial underdogs', last year's runners-up Rajasthan Royals will be riding high on confidence, but will be under pressure to match last season's performance. </p>PTI
5/10:Sanju Samson
<p>Royals captain Sanju Samson has been associated with the team since 2013 and is now considered their batting mainstay.</p>TNN
6/10:Lucknow Super Giants
<p>Lucknow Super Giants finished third in 2022. Can they go one better this time? </p>TNN
7/10:KL Rahul
<p>Skipper KL Rahul, usually among the top run-scorers in the event, will again have a point to prove. </p>IANS
8/10:Mumbai Indians
<p>After a forgettable 2022, which saw them lose their first eight matches and finish at the bottom of the standings, Mumbai Indians will look to bounce back with a vengeance.<br /></p>AFP
9/10:Rohit Sharma
<p>Captain Rohit Sharma had a below-par 2022 but with the amount of experience under his belt, still remains Mumbai's most potent batter and this will be the 10th season for Rohit as MI captain. </p>AFP
10/10:Chennai Super Kings
<p>Chennai Super Kings splurged Rs 16 crore on Ben Stokes in the auctions, because MS Dhoni is likely to retire after this season. The future begins now for the franchise.</p>IANSThat midas touch!
Dhoni and his team did not have to wait long before they became IPL champions. The third season returned to India, after the second in 2009 was organised in South Africa due to a date clash with the country’s general elections. And with it the midas touch of Dhoni returned.
The semi-final defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in South Africa was soon forgotten as CSK lifted the IPL trophy for the first time in 2010, beating Mumbai Indians in the summit clash. CSK went on to win the T20 Champions League too the same year. The role that former CSK player turned Head Coach Stephen Fleming played cannot be forgotten either. Like Dhoni, Fleming too has become synonymous with the yellow brigade.
The run continued in the next season too. CSK finished the league stage behind RCB, but in the final they got the better of the Bangalore-based franchise to lift the IPL trophy for the second successive year in 2011.
Dhoni's midas touch didn't abandon him when he played in the national colours. He later led India to their second ODI World Cup triumph in 2011, 28 years after the Kapil Dev-led side won India's first way back in 1983.
Most matches as IPL captain
Even though CSK's next IPL title was won seven years later in 2018, Dhoni, with his match-winning knocks and shrewd captaincy, guided CSK to the play-off phase 11 times in 13 seasons. With his successes in national colours and the ever growing aura in CSK's yellow jersey, Dhoni the brand too was unstoppable.
During this period, Dhoni led India to the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy title winy, making him the only skipper to win all ICC organised global events -- T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup and Champions Trophy. And in 2014, Dhoni led CSK to their second Champions League title.
The dark cloud...
Dhoni's successful run with CSK was abruptly halted after the 2015 season. The two-time champions, along with Rajasthan Royals, were banned for two years from the league for involvement in illegal betting by team officials.
Dhoni had to join a newly formed team - Rising Pune Supergiants, for the 2016 edition after spending eight successive seasons with CSK. As expected, he was made captain of the Pune-based side, but the new franchise finished a lowly 7th in its debut season. The dismal run though did not last long for Dhoni.
CSK's Result summary
The revival...
Dhoni played under Steve Smith's captaincy at RPS in 2017, as the team reached the final, but lost the summit clash dramatically by 1 run to Mumbai Indians. It was the team's last season in the league as they, along with Gujarat Lions, were contracted for just two seasons as a stop-gap arrangement for the two banned teams.
Dhoni then made an emotional return to CSK in 2018 and the team rose like the proverbial phoenix. Dhoni led the Chennai-based team to their third IPL title in their comeback year. Dhoni was in amazing form with the bat too, scoring 455 runs at an astounding average of 75.83. He also scored the runs in double quick time, at a strike rate of 150.66.
In 2019, Dhoni again led CSK to the final, their eighth summit clash appearance in 10 editions in the league. But unfortunately they failed to defend the title, losing by 1 run to Mumbai Indians.
Historic low and the fourth title
The league moved outside India for the second time in its history in 2020, this time due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The United Arab Emirates hosted IPL for two years during the Covid times.
Dhoni's CSK failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in the league's history in 2020. Dubbed 'Dad's Army', for being the only team with the average squad age above 30, CSK finished a lowly 7th in the eight team tournament, winning just six of the 14 league matches in the UAE.
But Dhoni led the same 'dad's army' the following year to the pinnacle, winning their fourth IPL title. It was a remarkable turnaround for the team and its captain Dhoni, who himself was 39 years old by then.
An experiment that didn't work...
The league became a 10-team affair with the addition of two new teams – Gujarat Giants, the eventual champions, and Lucknow Super Giants, when it returned to India in 2022.
The 40-year old Dhoni relinquished the CSK captaincy for the first time and the defending champions began their campaign with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja at the helm. But they had a terrible start, losing their first four league matches on the trot.
They won two of the next four games, making it just two wins in eight games, but by then they were out of the playoffs race. Jadeja handed over the captaincy back to Dhoni, who led CSK to two more wins in the next three games. But they ended their campaign with three consecutive defeats to finish a disappointing 9th, just above the wooden-spoon holders Mumbai Indians, courtesy a better net run rate.
Despite the disappointments last year, the love affair between Dhoni and IPL will be rekindled again when the 16th edition of the league kicks-off on March 31 this year, highlighting that the beautiful journey is not over yet.
Dhoni and his yellow brigade will play the season opener against the defending champions the Gujarat Titans, led by Hardik Pandya, who is also a close friend of Dhoni's.
