MS Dhoni Birthday Special: Handing the Last Over to Joginder Sharma in T20 World Cup 2007 Final vs Pakistan and Other Top Moments Involving ‘Captain Cool’

MS Dhoni was born on July 17, 1981 in Bihar (now Jharkhand). Despite being born in a small town, due to his passion, dedication and hard work, MS Dhoni made it to the Team India rising through the ranks like a meteor. He even got the captaincy of the Indian cricket team and then he led them to three ICC titles becoming the most successful white-ball captain in the history of the game. Dhoni has been one of the biggest icons of Indian cricket. Coming into the side as a youngster with flair, Dhoni went on to give Indian Cricket some never to be forgotten moments. Fans are still grateful to his contributions which made Indian cricket team what it is today.  MS Dhoni Fans in Vijaywada Reveal 100-Feet Cutout of Former India Captain Ahead of His 43rd Birthday.

MS Dhoni turns 43 on July 7, 2024. In this article we will look at the top five moments in Indian Cricket where MS Dhoni's involvement as a batter or captain helped Team India achieve unforgettable glory:

1. Bringing Joginder Sharma Against Misbah-ul-Haq in ICC T20 World Cup 2007 Final:

MS Dhoni played a key role in India winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 in South Africa. It was the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup and not a lot of cricketers had the idea of what to do and when to do. Despite that, under pressure MS Dhoni opted to give the ball to inexperienced Joginder Sharma over experienced Harbhajan Singh and the former ensured India lifted the title for the first time. The moment was etched in history and the orchestrator was none other than MS Dhoni.

2. Scoring 91* in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011:

One of the biggest moments in Indian cricket history came through the hands of MS Dhoni. Not only he hit the winning six which ensured India's second ODI World Cup title but ahead of that he displayed excellent captaincy throughout the competition and played an absolute gem of a knock in the final, deciding to bat ahead of man of the tournament Yuvraj Singh in the final. Till date, people have the picture of MS Dhoni engraved in the memory like it was yesterday.

3. Bringing Ishant Sharma to Dismiss Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara in ICC Champions Trophy 2013 Final:

In the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, England were cruising to the target set by India. Unfortunately, MS Dhoni didn't have much contribution with the bat in the rain-curtailed encounter. He was under pressure as Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara's partnership was taking England over the line. It is when Dhoni brough Ishant Sharma in the attack and he dismissed both Morgan and Bopara in the same over. India eventually won the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 and Dhoni's move got registered as a folklore.

4. Using Ishant Sharma's Short Ball Barrage to Win Lord's Test Against England in 2014:

England were chasing 318 in the fourth innings of the second Test in Lord's in 2014 and Moeen Ali and Joe Root and well set taking England to 173/4. It is when Dhoni asked Ishant Sharma to bowl bouncers with the old ball and surprisingly England had no answers to it. It didn't matter whether they tried to attack or defend, wickets kept tumbling and India won the Test match by 95 runs and Ishant Sharma took seven wickets with the game. It is one of the reasons Dhoni is called a strategical genius.

5. Chasing 16 Runs in Last Over Helping India Win Tri-Series Final Against Sri Lanka in 2013:

Just After the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, India participated in the Tri-Series with Sri Lanka and West Indies in the Carribean Islands. In the final, India suffered a collapse and with one wicket remaining, India needed 16 runs off the last over. Dhoni hit 6, 4, 6 in the second, third and fourth delivery of the over of Nuwan Kulasekara and helped India win the Tri-Series. By that innings, Dhoni proved why he had the tag of the best finisher of the world.  MS Dhoni Birthday! Fans Wish CSK Captain in Advance As He Turns 43 on July 7.

For a cricketer and captain like Dhoni, there are uncountable memorable moments that can be revisited and remembered on his special occasion. But the mentioned five games reveal the range of qualities in him. The ability to read games, the ability to take bold decisions, the ability to dominate under pressure and the ability to bat long adapting to every challenge thrown at him. For this, MS Dhoni will always remain in the heart of the fans.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 07, 2024 12:05 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).