Key moments in Dhoni's career

 

2005: Dhoni shot to fame with two brilliant one-day innings — 148 off 123 balls against Pakistan and an unbeaten 183 off 145 against Sri Lanka, leading to his inclusion in the Test team the same year.

 

2007: Dhoni was asked to captain India in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa after senior players like Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar declined to play. He led his young team to a stunning win over arch-rivals Pakistan in the final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. The victory inspired a Twenty20 revolution in India that led to the creation of the glitzy Indian Premier League in 2008.

 

2009: Under Dhoni India assumed the number one ranking in Test cricket, a position they held till 2011.

 

2011: Dhoni hit the winning six as India won the 50-over World Cup by defeating Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. It was India’s second World Cup title after Kapil Dev’s team achieved the feat in 1983.

 

2014: As India stumbled in overseas Tests, Dhoni’s defensive leadership was slammed by critics and media alike. The toll of being captain, batsman and wicket-keeper in all three formats for the past seven years took its toll and Dhoni quit Test cricket.