MS Dhoni is now the leading run-scorer at No 6 in One-Day Internationals (ODIs). He also has the highest average for anyone who has batted for more than 50 innings at No 5. Nishad Pai Vaidya looks at a few statistics that reveal Dhoni’s greatness in ODIs.
MS Dhoni is easily amongst the greats of One-Day Internationals (ODI). Since 2008, he has averaged over 55 in six out of the seven calendar years. It is a splendid record for a wicketkeeper-batsman, captain and the designated finisher in the line-up — a testament to how he manages the pressures of the three roles. What makes those statistics even more fascinating is that majority of his innings have come lower down the order, where has either had to accelerate or time the run-chase perfectly.
Though Dhoni has often been criticised in Test cricket, he did his own reputation as a batsman no harm during the recent series in England. But, if you only consider one-day cricket, Dhoni has been phenomenally consistent across the world and had been the dependable force in the Indian batting. It is quite a change for a man who started off as a dasher and challenged the dimensions of the ground with his brute power. But, add a bit of temperance to that and you have an even better ODI batsman. Though he took up the captaincy in late 2007, it was in 2008 that he gradually remodeled his game and became a more responsible batsman for India. Here are his averages since then:
Year
M
Avg
2008
29
57.73
2009
29
70.47
2010
18
46.15
2011
24
58.76
2012
16
65.6
The fact that his lowest average in the last seven years has been 46.15 speaks volumes of his consistency. Even during one “lean” year, he still managed to average in the late 40s. And, since 2011, that run of good form has continued with some remarkable consistency on all fronts.
To put things in a larger context, one must have a look at Dhoni’s stats at No 6, a position which has been his own for a major part of his career. Dhoni is now the leading run-getter at No 6 in ODIs as he has gone past Michael Bevan, Here are the numbers:
Batsman
M
R
Avg
100s
50s
HS
SR
MS Dhoni
111
3189
46.21
1
23
139*
84.12
Michael Bevan
105
3006
56.71
1
23
102*
77.73
Mark Boucher
116
2387
29.83
0
15
78
82.59
Tillakaratne Dilshan
98
2046
28.81
0
10
81*
78.75
Michael Hussey
74
1942
40.45
1
11
109*
88.23
Dhoni has a lesser average when compared to Bevan, but his strike-rate of 84.12 puts his effectiveness into perspective. He has the same number of fifty-plus scores when compared to Bevan. This table has some of the best one-day players and Dhoni stands tall, with a record that is unparalleled. Though Bevan’s average remains the summit, Dhoni should continue to do better that him on the other fronts.
The other important fact is that Dhoni has the highest batting average at No 5 for anyone who has batted at that spot in more than 50 innings. Here are the numbers:
Batsman
M
I
R
Ave
100s
50s
HS
SR
MS Dhoni
54
50
2045
56.80
3
11
124
87.02
Misbah-ul-Haq
69
64
2266
48.21
0
20
96*
75.55
Eoin Morgan
72
65
2256
45.12
4
14
124*
92.3
Andrew Symonds
106
96
3473
44.52
5
23
156
91.87
Rahul Dravid
79
69
2459
43.91
2
22
104
73.6
In statistical terms, Dhoni is right up there with some of the finest players in ODIs. Despite managing a heavy workload across formats with the added responsibility of being the captain and the wicketkeeper, Dhoni emerges with flying colours. Numbers indeed tell the story!
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.