Mission 300 for MS Dhoni: CSK skipper set to achieve new landmark in possibly final match of career

KEY STORY

• The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 final will be remembered for many years to come. It isn’t just the battle to find the champion of the 14th edition of the T20 league but would also be the 300th T20 match in the career of ‘captain’ MS Dhoni.

• As Chennai Super Kings (CSK) take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2021 final, the aim of the Yellow Army wouldn’t just be to earn the franchise its 4th title but also conclude the season on a winning note since it could be the last-ever professional cricket match in Dhoni’s career.

• Dhoni is widely considered as one of the finest leaders the gentleman’s game has ever produced. Having won every ICC title there was to be won during his days as an active international career, Dhoni has also led CSK to all three of their IPL titles. Having been a part of the franchise since the inaugural season in 2008, Dhoni holds the record of winning the most number of matches in the T20 league as a captain too.

• The 40-year-old is retired from international cricket in 2020 but had stepped down from captaincy in the shortest format of the game for Team India back in January 2017. He captained the Indian team in a total of 72 T20Is, winning 41 of these and losing 28.

• When it comes to his record as the skipper of CSK, Dhoni has led the Yellow Brigade in 213 matches, winning 130 and losing 81. For a brief period of time, Dhoni also led Rising Pune Supergiant before being replaced by Steve Smith at the helm. In total, Dhoni had led RPS for 14 matches, winning 5 and losing 9.

CONCLUSION

• Over the course of his career, Dhoni has led T20 teams in various competitions like IPL, CL T20, Asia Cup, T20 World Cups and bilateral assignments. He is also the only cricketer in the world to have won every major T20 tournament in his career.

• A victory for CSK tonight against KKR will also be a record in itself. By winning the IPL 14 title, they will be the first T20 franchise in the world to win a title in three different decades. The Dhoni-led side had first won the IPL title in 2010 before winning it twice in the next decade — 2011 and 2018.

• The 2021 title, if it comes, hence, will be of huge significance.